The Life She Only Dreamed Of
by Barbadiangirl
Summary: Sarah's living the life she only dreamed of. A collection of one-shots/stories as of 20/04/14. Charah mostly, but the rest of the clan is included. Family-centred fics [I LOVE the idea of Charah babies!] Fluff. Fun. Some sprinkles of romance. Read and review. I don't own CHUCK. DON'T be intimidated by the # of words! :)
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone. Here's another one-shot I hope you will enjoy. I had actually started writing it during school and in any spare time I could find, in hopes that I could publish it sooner. But alas, my life had other schoolwork started piling up and these subjects (History, Law, Literatures in English and Communication Studies) each have their own challenges. Anyway, education is key so they took precedence.**

**My other story TWHPWSTB is on hiatus as I can't find enough time to write it, but if anyone wants to help me with it, feel free to PM me.**

**NB. If you're studying/ doing homework or anything that has a deadline do NOT listen to your CHUCK playlist. Otherwise, as the music of Nico Stai, Band of Horses, Jerry Messersmith, Bon Iver etc. fill the room, you will begin to connect each song with the corresponding Chuck scene. And then the nostalgia will come, and you will have a sudden urge to binge watch the series and or watch some fan videos on YouTube.. And before you realise it, hours would have passed and you'll be a complete mess and a ball of emotions. Trust me... Speaking of which, if you are finally able to watch the series finale without crying, there's a really nice Chuck and Sarah montage to Ryan Star's 'Losing Your Memory'.**

**I'd like to thank each and every member of this Chuck fanfic community- whether you were with the show from the get-go, joined in for the ride later or discovered it after its run. It's you; the readers and the writers who keep this incredible show alive. As a writer, I hope that you'll enjoy this story. And PLEASE leave a review, I wouldn't mind if it's as a guest - just let me know what you thought. I'm open to constructive criticism (constructive being the operative word)**

**I don't own CHUCK….*sigh* but a teenage girl can dream. Can you believe it's been two years since the series finale?**

**Words written in italics reflect character thoughts and ^^ represent text messages.**

**Thanks to TheIntersect20 for checking this over for me. I added a couple thousand words after her look over, so all mistakes are mine. If you spot any, let me know.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Monday, January 22nd 2018.<span>**

As sunlight filtered through the light blue curtains, Sarah stirred in her sleep. Five minutes later, she was fully awake and checked the time on her alarm clock. It was only 6:30 and she was up kind of early, considering she had set the alarm to go off at 7:30. Shifting her body so that she was now resting against the headboard, Sarah cast a forlorn glance at the other side of the bed. She patted the spot where Chuck usually laid and sighed. She hated waking up alone. She had gotten so accustomed to waking up in his arms- the feel of his arms around her, the warmth from his body and the faint steady sound of his heartbeat.

Sarah placed her left hand on her six months pregnant belly as she felt the baby kick, letting her know that she was also awake. Tossing the bed covers off of herself, Sarah got out of bed and headed to the master bathroom. After performing her morning duties, she re-entered the bedroom and checked her phone. A frown became etched on her face when she saw there were no new messages or voicemails. Chuck hadn't called. Placing her phone back on the bedside table, she decided to go see if CJ was also up. She picked up a pink robe that accompanied the night gown she was wearing which was draped over a nearby chair and slipped it on.

Sarah then proceeded down the hallway which was covered in many family pictures before she came to CJ's door. She pushed the door open slightly, being extremely careful to make as little noise as possible. Poking her head inside, Sarah saw that he was still asleep; his curly mop of brown hair the only thing visible beneath his Star Wars sheets. She stepped inside and turned off his night-light before placing a kiss on his cheek. He did not stir and Sarah decided to go downstairs to make breakfast.

On entering the kitchen, Sarah immediately went to the phone to check the answering machine service. There was only one message and her heart leapt a bit when she thought it might be from Chuck. She was a bit disappointed when she heard the message play. It was her OB/GYN who had called to reschedule her appointment since her previous one was postponed due to an emergency Caesarean. She sighed once again before going to fridge. Sarah scanned the contents of the fridge as she tried to make up her on what to eat. Nothing in it immediately caught her fancy but she finally decided to make a fruit salad since she had craved strawberries and kiwis since the night before. As she was preparing to sit down to enjoy her breakfast, she heard the distinctive sound of a bicycle's bell. Sarah pulled both sides of the robe closer and then loosely tied a bow just above her protruding stomach. As she made her way to the front door, she saw the newspaper boy.

"Good morning." Chad said as he met her.

"Good morning Chad." Sarah replied as she took the newspaper from him. "Thank you so much for bringing this up to me." she continued and flashed him a smile.

"It's no problem" he said with a small laugh. "I'm running late though so I'll see you tomorrow." The teen said before turning and making his way down the pathway.

"I'll see you later. And tell your mom I said 'hi'. "Sarah called out after him. It was only then that she noticed the feel of soft fur against her legs. Looking down, she saw her dog Chazzie looking up at her.

"Good morning Chazzie. I bet you're hungry aren't you?" she asked him as they made their way inside the house. He wagged his tail vigorously and barked loudly, which to Sarah's mind was the affirmative.

On re-entering the kitchen, Sarah filled Chazzie's bowls with water and his puppy kibble and watched as the dog wolfed down his meal. She then opened the door which led to the backyard to allow Chazzie to get some fresh air and exercise. Glancing at the clock, she realised it was 7:18 and decided to start making breakfast.

CJ joined her in the kitchen just as she was finishing making the pancake batter. "Good morning sweetie."

"Morning Mommy."

The sudden succession of shrill rings cut their conversation short. Sarah answered, "Hello."

"Hi." was all the smooth voice said in the other line.

"Chuck" Sarah breathed.

"Baby I miss you so much. How are things back there? Are you ok? CJ? The baby?"  
>Sarah smiled at the sound if his voice and her heart fluttered at the concern he was showing, "Everything's fine. We're all doing ok but we miss you. Oh! And I almost forgot, we're really close to reaching an agreement on the terms of the RBC contract."<p>

"Daddy!"

"Hey CJ. How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"And are you taking good care of Mommy?"

"Uh huh". CJ looked at his mother, contemplating whether to divulge a piece of information to his father before turning his back to her and mumbled something into the receiver.

"What was that buddy?" Chuck asked his son.

CJ's voice was barely above a whisper "The baby hurt mommy this morning."

"What do you mean she hurt Mommy?"

"She kicked mommy just now." He told his father.

"Oh!" Chuck exclaimed and smiled at his son's concern for his mother's well-being "She doesn't know any better yet CJ." Chuck explained.

"But it's not nice to kick."

"I know, but when she's a little older, you can teach her all that stuff. Cause you'll be her big brother and she'll need you to help to teach her right from wrong. But for now, the baby will kick to let your mommy know that she's happy."

Understanding flashed across CJ's face. "Oh. So she's not hurting Mommy?" he asked his father one last time for good measure.

"No." he replied "how was the trip to the zoo?" Chuck asked him, remembering that his class was scheduled to go in a field trip yesterday.

"It was really good!" CJ told him, his voice oozing with excitement. "I saw a lion and a snake and it was really really big and an elephant and a hypothalamus and-"

"Hippopotamus" Chuck corrected him. CJ corrected his mistake and continued to ramble off the list of animals he had seen at the zoo. When he was finished, Chuck asked him "So did you draw me a picture of all those animals you saw?"

"Uh huh" he replied while nodding his head "Mommy put it on the fridge. And I showed it to Grandma Mary and she said it looked reaalllly nice and that I had to draw one for her to put on her fridge."

Sarah had finished the pancakes and they now sat on a plate in the middle of the table. She beckoned CJ to come take a seat.

"Daddy, Mommy's finished making my pancakes so I have to go eat now."

"Ok, I love you."

"I love you too Daddy."

"Give the phone to your mom again."

CJ gladly returned the phone to his mother then climbed into a chair to devour his blueberry pancakes. Sarah poured them both a glass of orange juice while talking to Chuck.

"So where were we?"

"I think you were gushing about how much you miss us."

Chuck laughed. "You have no idea how much. Hopefully this mission will wrap up soon. I can't wait to be back home with you."

"The sea and sun in the Caribbean proving to be too much for you?" Sarah teased him.

"If you were here with me I'd definitely be enjoying myself." he told her, with a seductive undertone in his voice.

Sarah's face flushed. She glanced at her son who was too occupied with his breakfast to listen to the conversation. Still, to be careful, she stepped out of the kitchen before answering him. "You might be right; I bought this new lingerie set that leaves little to the imagination. I think you'd like it. It's red with a bit of lace in the right places and so silky it slides off my body quite easily."

She heard Chuck gulp audibly before he replied to her. "Ooh, you play dirty Sarah Bartowski."

"Only when you want me to. And besides you enjoy when I talk dirty don't you?"

Chuck chuckled. "I walked right into that one didn't I?"

"Yes you did." she replied with a grin.

"You know this is gonna occupy my mind now right? And I'll hardly be able to focus."

"I'm sure you can handle it. And besides, it's an extra push to get you home a bit faster."

"As if I really needed one. I've gotta go though, so I'll call you a bit later." Chuck grudgingly told her. "I love you."

"I love you too." And with that, Sarah's morning became a bit brighter.

* * *

><p>"CJ! Come on, you're gonna be late for school." Sarah huffed at her son. They were standing in his room, with a pile of clothes on his bed. "If you can't find the Obi Wan Kenobi shirt, just wear a different one."<p>

"No Mommy. I have to find it."

"CJ." Sarah warned. He stopped his complaining instantly, knowing that when his mother used that tone, it was not good. They had searched all his drawers and his closet and the shirt was still nowhere to be found. "CJ you can wear it tomorrow ok? When we get home this evening we'll look for it again and if we still don't find it, I'll call Auntie Ellie and ask her to see if it's there."

He looked at her, tears welling in his eyes. "Look, this is a Star Wars T-shirt too. Put this one on." Sarah told him, handing the shirt to him.

Sadness was etched across his face and Sarah's heart ached. Unshed tears were swimming in his big brown eyes. Sarah couldn't bear seeing him so unhappy. She sighed and tried to wrack her brain to remember where she had seen the missing shirt last. Then she remembered.

"CJ, go downstairs into the laundry room, I think I might have left your T-shirt in the hamper."

His eyes brightened at the news and he rushed out of his room. Sarah observed the mess that they had made while looking for the shirt. She shook her head. That would have to be cleaned up later.

Donning a black and white maternity business wear dress and a silver chain belt above her belly, Sarah checked to make sure they had everything before leaving. Satisfied that she wasn't forgetting anything, especially her comfortable flats which she slipped into at work Sarah called out to CJ.

"CJ come on or we'll be late."

"I'm coming Mommy."

He came bustling down the stairs, a big smile on his face. In his white Star Wars T-shirt which featured Obi Wan Kenobi on the front, a black jeans and black converse with his brown curly hair growing wild, he really did look like his father.

"Do you have your colouring book?"

"Yes please."

"Crayons? Pencil case? Exercise book?"

CJ nodded after each item was listed and Sarah was satisfied.

"Ok, it seems like you're all set. Grab your lunch box off the kitchen table while I activate the security system."

When CJ returned to the living room, he found his mother check through her briefcase, ensuring she had all the files she needed. Seeing him return, with his lunch box in hand, Sarah closed her briefcase and ushered him out the door.

"What does the fox say? Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow!" CJ sang along to the song playing on the radio.

Sarah huffed in frustration. Since its release, that song had been getting a lot of airplay; far more than necessary she and Casey thought. _And what was up with that chorus! _While she had learnt animal sounds years ago in pre-school, she was 99.9% positive that foxes did not say 'Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! or Jacha-chacha-chacha-chow! or any of that ridiculous nonsense that the singers were talking about. She was about to change that station when CJ began speaking.

"Mommy, why don't you sing with me?"

_Because it doesn't make any sense. _"I don't really like this song sweetie." Sarah explained.

They had come to a red light so Sarah took the opportunity to look back at him. CJ scrunched up his face and said "Uncle Casey doesn't like it either. " he informed his mother.

"Did Uncle Casey tell you that when he babysat last week?"

"Mommy!" CJ exclaimed. "Adults only babysit babies. I'm not a baby, I'm FIVE." he told his mother while holding up five fingers. "Oliver is a baby, not me" he said referring to his younger cousin. "I'm a big boy." CJ added with conviction.

Sarah chuckled as she continued driving. "I'm sorry sweetie. Yes. You and Clara are both 'big'."

Nodding, CJ continued talking. "Last week when Uncle Casey was watching me while you and Aunt Ellie went out, we were watching cartoons and then the song came on and Uncle Casey started mumbling under his breath and growling." He was silent for a moment. "Mommy, Uncle Casey growls like a bear sometimes!"

Sarah smiled and tried unsuccessfully to stifle a laugh. "I guess he does. But don't let him hear you say that ok?"

"Yes Mommy."

"Now, I've been thinking that you need a haircut. Your hair is starting to make animal shapes again."

"Nooooooo." he cried. "I like my hair when it makes animal shapes, it looks like Daddy's old hair in the pictures we have home." he explained.

Sarah shook her head in amazement at how much CJ wanted to be like his father and couldn't fight the smile that threatened to form. "Ok. Ok. I won't take you to the barber shop yet."

For a while, the car was quiet, the soft music of the radio floating through. Sarah was thankful that awful song had stopped and a pop song, which was less repetitive than most out there was currently playing. CJ seemed contended to stare through the window and occasionally joining in for the chorus if songs he knew came on. They had just pulled into the school's car park when CJ suddenly asked "Mommy is that why Daddy calls Uncle Casey 'Sugar Bear'?"

Sarah partly owed her CIA training to successfully dodge answering CJ's question. She turned off the car and hopped out. She opened CJ's door and when he got out, she checked him over. Taking his hand, Sarah distracted him by asking him what he wanted to do after he got home. Like his father, CJ soon began to ramble off a list of suggestions. By the time they reached the main building of the school, CJ was still talking. However, he saw one of his teachers standing there, waiting for the rest of his classmates. He stopped talking turned to his mother. It was difficult for Sarah to bend down to give him a hug so she just gave his hand a squeeze. Excited to see one of his friends going to the teacher, CJ ran to catch up with them. Sarah waved at his teacher, a mid-forties woman, before she led the boys into the school. Sarah had begun to walk towards the car when CJ's voice shouting "Mommy" stopped her. Turning around, she looked at him questionably. And then she remembered she had forgotten to give him a kiss. CJ blew her a kiss which she caught and she sent one back to him. With one last wave and a smile, he was gone.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Orion Technologies Inc., Burbank CA<strong>

Sarah's Office

"Mom, I'm fine." Sarah said as her mother continued to grill her about her well-being. "Really, I'm just feeling a bit tired that's all."

"I don't want you to exhaust yourself dear. Maybe you should go home early and get some rest before CJ comes home." Emma suggested.

"Mom..."

Emma cut her off "Or maybe I can come over there for a while until Chuck gets back. And speaking of Chuck, how is he? And how soon will he be back?"

"Chuck's fine. I spoke to him today and he's hoping to be back home by early next week. There's really no need for you to drive all the way up here, and besides, you can't just take Molly out of school so you can come here and baby me, although I'm sure she would like that."

Emma chuckled. "I'm sure she would. Fine, but call me if you need anything... Oh fudge!"

"Mom? Is everything ok?" Sarah asked, instantly concerned

"I'm fine darling." Emma's voice came through the receiver. "I just remembered I have a lunch date and I haven't even done my hair or selected my outfit!"

"A date?" Sarah questioned. "With Peter?" Sarah asked, referring to the man whom she'd been introduced to three months earlier.

"Yes, with Peter."

"So..." Sarah ventured, "Are things getting serious?"

Emma sighed "Honey, I don't know. I guess there's a possibility. I don't want to jump into anything."

Sarah noticed that her mother sounded distracted and as though she was searching for something. "Mom, I'm gonna let you go get ready for your date. I'll talk to you later. Love you."

"I love you too sweetie." Emma said before disconnecting.

Sarah shook her head as she got up to pour a glass of water. Her mother was acting like a teenager getting ready for their first date with the boy she had a crush on. Sadness flooded through her as she remembered her own teen years and felt a tinge of regret that her mother hadn't been there to see her get ready for any dates. Shaking those thoughts from her head, she made her way back to her desk. She had met Peter a handful of times and he did strike her as a nice guy…..

/

**(Flashback: **Emma's house. Friday, September 29th 2017.**)**

"Why didn't you bring over CJ?" Molly asked Sarah.

"Well sweetie, CJ, Chuck and Morgan are having a Star Wars movie marathon this weekend and he really didn't want to miss it but he told me to say 'hi' for him."

"Oh." Molly nodded in understanding. "You know, all the other kids are jealous because they're not aunties yet."

"Really?"

"Uh huh" Molly said nodding her head. "They only have brothers and sisters and cousins but I'm the only one that has a nephew." she finished with a smile.

Sarah was about to tell Molly that soon she would either have a niece and a nephew or two nephews when the doorbell rang. Her mother had just finished showering and was getting dressed so she rose to answer. Upon opening the door, Sarah came face to face with a gentleman who appeared to be in his mid-fifties. He was five foot nine, and his black hair was peppered with grey.

"Yes?"

"Um hi." the man said, fidgeting with his brown sweater. "Is Emma home?" he asked.

"Sarah who's at the door?" Emma called out as she entered the room. "Peter, what are you doing here?" Emma asked staring at the man in the doorway.

Sarah finally seemed to remember her manners and ushered the man inside, closing the door behind her.

"Hi Peter." Molly said as she re-entered the room with a reading book.

"Hi Molly. How are you?" the man whom Sarah had come to know as Peter asked.

"I'm good."

Sarah looked at her mother, waiting for an introduction. Peter cleared his throat.

"Um" Emma started "Peter this is my daughter Sarah, Sarah this is my um... my uh friend Peter."

After a formal handshake and 'Nice to meet you' were exchanged, Peter turned his attention to Emma. "You forgot didn't you?"

Confusion and then realization flashed across Emma's face. "Oh my gosh Peter, I'm so sorry!"

"It's OK." Peter told her, his voice revealing a hint of disappointment. "We can go dinner another time."

"Are you sure, I'm really sorry."

"Yea, I'm just gonna-" Peter started as he jerked his thumb towards the door.

"Mom, it's OK if you go. I'll keep Molly company until you get back."

"Are you sure?"

"Yea, I'll order us a pizza or something for dinner."

"OK, take a seat; I'll go get ready in thirty minutes tops." Emma told Peter.

Sarah and Peter exchanged awkward smiles before Sarah excused herself from the room, telling Molly she'd be back soon. She was a bit uncomfortable about leaving Molly with this man, but Molly seemed to know him and her mother definitely knew him so he wasn't a complete stranger.

When Sarah knocked on her mother's door and then entered the room, she was surprised at the sight that greeted her. She leaned against the door and watched as her mother rummaged through her closets looking for something to wear. She decided to take a seat on the bed as her mother continued to behave like a chicken with its head cut off. Throwing off the sweatpants she had on, Emma jumped into her favourite pair of black jeans.

"Mom, you might wanna take it easy jumping into those skinny jeans."

Emma shot a look at Sarah before looking for a nice shirt to wear.

Hopping off the bed, Sarah decided to help her mother find a suitable one. After searching the first drawer of her chest of drawers, Sarah found a silky red spaghetti strapped top and black jacket.

"Here." She told her mother, "These will look great on you."

"Thank you."

"And you can wear your red wedges and take the matching clutch I gave you with this outfit."

"Ok, those should coordinate nicely." Emma said completely trusting her daughter's fashion sense.

"I can do your makeup if you want."

"Ok, that'll be great." Emma said and went to get her cosmetic bag from the bathroom. So many questions were swirling in Sarah's mind. Just who was this 'Peter' person and why hadn't her mother told her about him? When Emma returned, she was still lost in thought.

"Sarah?" Emma called as she snapped her fingers in front of her face.

"Sorry, I zoned out for a moment." Sarah told her mother. "Take a seat." Sarah said motioning to the bed. Emma did and she wondered how long it would take before Sarah started questioning her about the man in the living room.

"Soooo…." Sarah drawled as she took out her mother's foundation from the cosmetic bag, "Who's Peter?"

_And there it was_ Emma thought. "He's a friend." Emma told Sarah.

Sarah nodded and began to apply the foundation. "How long have you known him?"

"He moved here two years ago and we've been friends for almost just as long."

Sarah pondered over that information. "Are you dating him? Is he... I mean, is he your boyfriend?" Sarah asked, a hint of resentment tainting her voice at the thought of her mother being in a relationship and not telling her. She knew her mother was her own woman and was entitled to her privacy but the thought still stung.

"Honey, no. I wouldn't say we're dating. We went out for coffee last week and he asked me out to dinner. So if anything, this is our first date."

Sarah sighed. "Ok." And continued to work on her mother's makeup, applying a faint hint of brush, eyebrow pencil and mascara. She had decided to forgo the eyeshadow and was now looking for a suitable lip gloss and lipstick. As she uncovered the cap for the lipstick, Sarah wondered if she was being irrational. "Mom?"

"Yes dear?"

"I didn't… I don't mean to pry in your business, I mean you're an adult and you're entitled to your privacy and I respect that. It's just…" Sarah stopped short as she searched for the right words to say. "I just thought that..."

"Sarah." Emma stopped her. She tugged at Sarah's hand, pulling her to sit in the bed beside her. "Honey, do you think I would keep something as important as a new man in my life from you?

"I guess not." Sarah mumbled.

"I wouldn't. You're my baby girl and I love you."

"I love you too Mom. And I want you to be happy."

Emma smiled and tapped Sarah's hand and then hopped off the bed. "Now, would you please go tell Peter I'll be out in five minutes? I need to comb my hair. And thanks for helping me get ready." Emma said as she examined herself in the mirror.

"You're welcome." Sarah said and took one long glance at her mother who was brushing her hair. A wave of happiness washed over Sarah as she saw her mother excited about going out. She wasn't the eight year old girl anymore who had hoped that by some miracle her parents would get back together and they'd be a happy family. No. That dream had been shattered a long time ago. Sarah knew her parents hadn't ended on the best of terms; their lives having pulled them in different directions. She hated how she'd been stuck in the middle, forced to take a side. However, her mother deserved to be loved and if Peter was the one she chose to be with and he made her happy, she'd be fine with that. Snapping out of her thoughts, Sarah went to the living room to acquaint herself with Peter a bit better.

/

Craig Jameson, one of the ten corporate attorneys currently negotiating the terms of the RBC contract hurriedly stepped out of the elevator and onto the thirty-fifth floor which housed the executives of Orion Technologies Inc. offices.

"Hey Tammy." he greeted Sarah's secretary, a mid-forties woman with raven black hair who was putting down the phone. "Is Mrs. Bartowski in?" he questioned.

"Hi Craig." she returned the greeting. "Yes. One of her meetings got cancelled, so she's available."

"Thanks. I'll see you later." Craig said and headed to Sarah's office.

"Bye." Tammy called out after him.

Having knocked in Sarah's door and receiving permission to enter, Craig entered the office. Sarah looked up from the document she was reading when she heard the door open. Upon seeing Craig, she smiled.

"Craig, I'm surprised to see you in my office already. Have we finalised the RBC contract?"

He shifted on his feet. "Actually Mrs. Bartowski, we have a problem."

Sarah ran her fingers through her hair. Sighing, she said "Well let's see if we can get this straightened out."

/  
>Craig held the conference room door open for Sarah and she nodded her thanks. Upon entering, all eyes swept on her. One of the attorneys sitting at the head of the table instantly vacated her seat for Sarah.<p>

"Thank you." Sarah told the attorney. Turning her attention to the large flat screen TV with which they were teleconferencing, Sarah began speaking. "Good morning. I understand there's a conflict with the contract."

The attorney appointed as the head negotiator for RBC spoke up. "Good morning. Yes, we believe that the price for the security software and installation is a bit high."

Inwardly, Sarah scoffed. While she appreciated the company's clients, she did not like people trying to price their work.

"I believe that when paying for a product, you pay for quality. Yes?" The man nodded. "My husband and his team have worked tirelessly to develop a security system that would best protect your bank. Furthermore, the terms of the contract that our legal team came up with are certainly fair. I think that $60,000 is a fair price considering the performance of the product, in fact, it's almost a giveaway. You know our company's reputation. We are the best in the business and that's why you came to us. I assume you don't want a repeat of that incident six months ago where your security system was easily bypassed and millions in cash were stolen." Sarah stopped speaking and looked at each of their faces. "$60,000 is our price, no more, no less. Do you accept or will you take your business elsewhere?"

The man sighed. Damn it._ At least I tried for a smaller fe_e he thought,_ but we really can't afford another incident or our clients will lose confidence in us._ "You have a deal."

Sarah flashed a smile. "Great! It was a pleasure doing business with you." Turning to Craig, she added "I'm entrusting you with finishing up here. You can report to me later."

She smiled at all the other members of her legal team and rose from her seat. With one last nod to everyone, Sarah exited the conference room. Wow! everyone thought. They had reached a stalemate in the negotiations and Sarah had finalized everything in a couple of minutes. _She really was something._

/  
>When Sarah returned to her office, she flopped into her chair and kicked off her shoes. She was feeling more tired than usual. <em>Maybe I should go home early like my mom suggested <em>Sarah thought. Sarah checked her watch. It was a nice Michael Kors gold watch which Chuck had given her for their sixth anniversary and she absolutely loved it. Realising that she did not have much to do at work, she notified her secretary that she would be taking the rest of the day off and headed home.

Sarah was on her way to pick up CJ from school when a sharp pain pierced her lower abdomen. She clutched her stomach with one hand as the pain surged through her. _What the hell was going on?_ She pulled over, not wanting to risk getting into an accident and immediately had to force her eyes shut to deal with the intense pain. These could not be contractions. This was too soon. The pain stopped for a moment, only to return with ferocity.

"Ahhhhh!" she cried out in anguish. Ellie. She needed to call Ellie or Devon. Sarah grabbed her bag and rummaged through it for her phone. Finally finding it, she fumbled with the touch screen, her blurred vision inhibiting her from pressing the right numbers. A chill ran through her, and suddenly, the smart phone in her hand weighed a ton. It slipped from her fingers and Sarah feeling a bit light-headed banged her head on the steering wheel. The only thought penetrating her mind was _God I hope my baby's ok._

When Sarah came to, the sound of beeping machines and antiseptics filled her nose. She was in a hospital. "Mhmm" she mumbled as she tried to open her eyes. Sarah felt a damp cloth being pressed against her forehead. Forcing her eyes open, she saw her mother standing over her and Ellie conversing with her OB/GYN Dr. Hinds.

"Mommy?"

"Hey baby girl."

The two doctors walked over to her. "Hi Sarah. How are you feeling?" Ellie asked.

Sarah swallowed thickly. "Head hurts."

"Anything else?" asked.

Sarah was about to ask what was going on when the pain she had felt earlier returned. "Ahhhhhh!" she cried again, gripping her mother's hand. "What's wrong with me?" Sarah cried.

The two doctors shared a look which did not go unnoticed by Sarah. "Sarah I need you to calm down." Ellie began.

Tears were forming in Sarah's eyes. "Please tell me. Is something wrong with the baby?"

"Sarah, you're in premature labour." began Dr. Hinds, wanting to keep Sarah as calm as possible. "When you were brought in you were unconscious. After we did a couple of tests, we realised what the problem was and we administered Atosiban acetate to stop it."

"We thought it had worked." Ellie added. She didn't need to add that it hadn't. Sarah knew that by the look in her eyes and the sharp pains she was experiencing.

"No!" she cried "it's too early. You have to stop it."

"Sarah, there's nothing we can do at this point. You're cervix has begun to dilate and your contractions will start to come stronger and faster. I promise you that I'll do my very best to help you deliver this baby." Dr. Hinds said.

Sarah shook her head, adamant that her baby wasn't ready to be born. Dr. Hinds checked her pager. "I have to go check on another patient but I'll be back soon." she told Sarah.  
>As the door to Sarah's room closed, another pain rippled through her, causing her to clutch her abdomen and cry out.<p>

"Sarah. Honey, I know it hurts, but just try to breathe in and out really slowly." Emma told her.

Sarah obeyed. "Ellie, I can't do this."

"Yes you can Sarah."

'It's too soon." Sarah reiterated.

"Sarah, with the advancements made in medical technology premature babies have high chances of survival. Just think positively ok?"

"Mommy! It hurts!" Sarah cried not caring if she sounded like her five-year old self when she had gotten her immunization shot for measles. "Please, make it stop." Sarah said in desperation.

"I know baby. Just hold my hand as hard as you need to. We'll get through this together."  
>"Chuck…." Sarah's voice came out in a hoarse whisper. "I need Chuck."<p>

"I'm sorry but we couldn't reach him. But we did leave messages on his and Casey's phone and one with General Beckman in case they reported to her first."

"Sarah." Ellie began "you're nine centimetres dilated. I'm gonna go get and a nurse."

Sarah forehead was laden with sweat. Her mother and Ellie were on either side of her, their hands being gripped tightly with each push. Sarah was exhausted. She didn't know how much more she could take but her doctor, her mom and Ellie were insisting that she was doing great. Just a couple more pushes she told herself, and then you'll be able to meet your little girl. With one final push, the cries of her baby filled the room. As she welcomed this new life into the world, Sarah was filled with sadness and fear. Sadness that Chuck wasn't here, especially when she needed him so badly. Fear that her baby wouldn't make it. She was so tiny, and Sarah found that she was afraid to hold her. Her fingers were incredibly small as they captured Sarah's pinkie in theirs. Somehow, Sarah managed to smile at her baby girl despite the whirlwind of emotions she was experiencing. The nurse then came and took the baby from her as she needed to be monitored and admitted to the ICU.

* * *

><p>Sarah awoke with a start, her hands immediately cradling her belly. She heard her phone ringing and switched on the bedside lamp.<p>

"Hello?" Sarah answered.

"Sarah!" Ellie's frantic voice came through. "I've been trying to reach you for the longest time. I was just about to send Devon over."

"What? Is something wrong with CJ?" Sarah asked, her voice laden with worry.

"No, no. He's fine. I was just worried about you. When I called the house phone and you didn't answer I tried your cell but got the same result. I was beginning to think something happened to you."

"I'm OK Ellie." Sarah said trying to convince her (and maybe herself in the process). "I just decided to take a short nap and the next thing I know, I've been sleeping for five hours. I'll be there in twenty minutes to pick up CJ."

"No it's ok. There's-"

"Ellie" Sarah cut her off. "I think I burdened you enough for the day. I wouldn't want to make you or Devon bring him home. I'll be there shortly."

"Sarah." Ellie stressed. "I would never think or say that watching CJ is a burden. He's my nephew and I'd do anything for him. And besides Clara and Oliver love it when he comes over. Now, there's no reason to worry about CJ. He's already asleep."

"So early?" Sarah asked. "He's usually up for another hour."

"Well Clara convinced the boys to watch Tangled with her- you know how she gets sometimes. And then they played Hide-and-Seek with Devon throughout the house. We barely got them to eat dinner, bathed and tucked in." Ellie finished with a chuckle.

"Sounds like they had fun."

"Yea, but I made sure CJ and Clara did their homework first. Since he's already asleep, he can go to school from here in the morning."

"Are you sure Ellie? Getting ready three kids under the age of eight at the same time can be daunting."

"I think we'll manage. Besides, you need to rest. You've been handling CJ pretty much by yourself since Chuck's been gone - and he certainly is a ball of energy. You must be feeling tired."

"A bit." Sarah confirmed.

"So when is Chuck coming home?"

"He and Casey are trying to wrap up the mission by the end of the week."

"I bet you miss him."

"You have no idea!" Sarah sighed, her voice betraying the sadness she felt. "And CJ misses him a great deal too."

"I can imagine. I felt like going crazy when Devon went to that medical convention in Chicago for a week."

"I remember." Sarah chuckled. "But Chuck promised that this would be the last mission he'd take that would last so long. At least until after the baby's born."

"Good." Ellie was quiet for a moment. "So besides the tiredness and missing Chuck like crazy you're OK?"

"Yes."

"Just making sure. I've gotta go though, but I'll let CJ call tomorrow before he leaves for school."

"Yea, OK." Sarah said. "And Ellie, thanks a lot - for checking up on me and taking care of CJ."

"Hey, that's what sisters are for. Call me if you need anything. OK? Love you."

"OK. Love you too. Bye."

Sarah placed her hands on her belly, waiting for the baby to kick. She figured the baby was still sleeping when after five minutes, she felt nothing. _I guess I better go find something to eat._ The baby must have read her mind and agreed with the proposition because she immediately kicked. Despite the discomfort Sarah felt from the kick, she smiled. Lifting up her T-shirt, Sarah watched her stomach moving as the baby moved inside of her.

"Hey baby." she said "You know, I think your Daddy and I are gonna have to decide on a name for you." She and Chuck had discussed baby names, with a few suggestions from their family members included. Chuck, being the nerd-enthusiast he was immediately suggested Leia, Jayne and Serenity.

"I don't think I want you named after a Sci-Fi show though. But I did promise your father that we could consider them as middle names." Yes she had promised. She just hoped they agreed on a name that would go well with either middle name. Chuck had been disappointed that she didn't want to name CJ Luke. But Sarah shot that name down immediately, knowing he would just be anxiously waiting for the day to say 'Luke, I am your father.' However, when she suggested they consider his names for middle ones, he practically had a nerdgasm. Maybe not one as big as if they were being considered as first names, but the excitement was there.

"I bet your Uncle Morgan is gonna try the same thing with your Auntie Alex." Sarah chuckled. Alex was five months pregnant. She and Morgan had decided to wait until delivery to find out the sex if their baby but Sarah had no doubt that Morgan was pushing for Sci-Fi based names.

/

Sarah rummaged through her refrigerator, looking for something that would catch her fancy. Nothing did, so she decided to order some Chinese, especially since the baby appeared to prefer it over had come to this assessment following the time when she, Chuck and CJ had gone out for Mexican, and she ended up emptying the contents of her stomach later that night.

She was about to begin dialling the number for her favourite Chinese restaurant when her security system beeped, alerting her on an incoming vehicle. She glanced at the clock. It was a little after 9 and she wasn't expecting anyone. Sarah entered Chuck's office and typed in various commands which gave her access to the security system. Simultaneously, the system checked the vehicles licence plate and ran a face recognition program of the driver. When Sarah gained access, she was relieved to see that it wasn't a threat but only Devon. Turning off the computer, she went to let Devon in.

Sarah opened the door just as Devon was about to knock.

"I really thought Chuck was kidding about your spidery senses." Devon joked.

"You know how Chuck is." Sarah told him. "But the motion sensors gave you away." she continued as she ushered Devon inside.

"What brings you by?"

"I was on my way to the hospital but, Ellie and I just wanted to make sure that you were doing OK, with Chuck being gone and CJ spending the night at our place." He stopped, realizing how that could sound insulting. "Not that you can't take care of yourself." he added quickly.

"It's ok Devon. And you can tell Ellie that I appreciate her concern. I may be six months pregnant but I still am the CIA's number one, even though I may share that title with Chuck. And besides our security system is really high-tech. Remember how I mentioned the motion sensors?" Devon nodded. "Well we've got cameras covering every inch if the property and the streets, facial recognition programs and ammonium sensors which detect the level of ammonia in perspiration so it distinguishes between humans and animals. Trust me; this house is probably more secure than an army base."

"Awesome!" Devon exclaimed, truly impressed. "Oh, Ellie also sent some food over." he said as he made his way into the kitchen with a large bag.

He began taking out the various containers and placed them in the kitchen counter.

"I know I'm eating for two, but all this food could feed a small army." Sarah joked.

"You know how Ellie gets. The kids didn't eat that much so we ended up having lots of leftovers and Ellie insisted that I bring you some of everything. I even have some leftovers for a buddy of mine who's working a 32 hour shift at the hospital."

"Thanks."

"No problem." Devon said and then glanced at his watch. "I've gotta get going. So I'll see you later."

"OK, drive safe." Sarah said as she saw Devon out.

Devon turned back to her. "I'm only gonna be at the hospital for about an hour. I could pick you up after and take you back to our place."

Sarah contemplated the idea for a moment. "Nah, I'll probably be asleep by then. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"You're sure?" Sarah nodded. "OK, good night."

"Good night Devon." Sarah said and closed the door.

She rested against it and smiled contentedly, this was what she had wanted for a very long time, a family who loved her and cared about her well-being. She was extremely grateful that she had found it... because family was a gift, one she would cherish.

Sarah returned to the kitchen and began to see what food Ellie had sent over. In one of the larger containers, she found a slice of lasagne, in another baked chicken, and mashed potatoes. She also found a helpful serving of tossed salad and was especially pleased when she was the dessert. Ellie had given her two options - pecan pie or chocolate cake. She then decided to text Ellie.

^^ Sarah : Thanks Ellie, u're the best! :) :) ^^

^^ Ellie : *blush* Meh! I know ;) and remember, if I don't get my containers back… I know where u live ;) ^^

^^ Sarah : Natural comedian aren't u? :p I'm about to go eat. G'night ^^

^^ Ellie : Good night. ^^

After texting Ellie, Sarah Helped herself to the food Ellie had sent. After her second serving, she was stuffed. _Chuck is definitely gonna have to help me work off these extra calories_. She made sure that the security system was activated before turning off the lights. She and Chazzie, who had also had his fair share of the meal made their way up the stairs. When they entered the master bedroom, Chazzie circles the room and then lay down beside his masters' bed.

"Chazzie." Sarah called and his ears immediately perked up. "I'm gonna go take a shower. Be good. OK?" He barked in response.

Tuesday, 23rd January

In the morning, Sarah awoke, feeling well rested. She was surprised that the baby hadn't kept her awake most of the night as she did most nights. She figured the baby was pretty full after Ellie's meal like she was and had to sleep it off. Sarah checked the clock, it was after seven so she decided to call CJ after she brushed her teeth and washed her face.

"Hello." Clara answered the phone.

"Hey Clara, how are you?"

"Aunt Sarah!" the seven-year old squealed. "I'm awesome. CJ and I had a reaalllly good time yesterday. We got to watch a movie and then we built a fort, but Oliver pushed it down, and then we played hide-and-seek and Daddy gave us piggyback rides." she continued excitedly without stopping for air.

"That's great honey. Sounds like you guys had a lot of fun."

"Uh huh." she confirmed.

"Where's CJ? I want to talk to him before you guys leave for school."

He was eating breakfast. Hold on, I'll go get him."

Before Sarah could even thank her, Clara's voice travelled through the house. "CJ! Your mom wants you!" she yelled.

Ellie and CJ entered the room, CJ immediately going to the phone while Ellie reprimanded her daughter.

"Clara Mary Woodcomb! How many times have I told you not to yell?"

"Sorry Mommy." she said.

"Don't let it happen again. Now go finish eat your breakfast. And when you're finished, go upstairs; your father is trying to choose your outfit for school today." Clara was abhorred by the idea and quickly left the room, whether to actually go finish eating breakfast or stop her father from committing a serious fashion crime, Ellie wasn't sure.

* * *

><p>For the second night in a row, Sarah awoke from another fitful sleep, this time it wasn't because she was having a bad dream, but because she had heard a noise coming from the bathroom. Though she hadn't been in a mission since before they had found out she was in her tenth week of pregnancy, the skills she had gained from her years with the CIA didn't just disappear. She didn't move but remained in bed, as she tried to figure out what made the noise and if a potential threat existed. Mentally, Sarah was also analysing how far her gun and the distress button were from reach. She opened her eyes and waited for them to adjust to the darkness. Her bedroom was still dark, save for the little light that was peeking out from the bathroom, the door being slightly ajar. Her senses were piqued. <em>Who the hell was in her house? How in the world had they disabled the security system? And what did they want? Had they already gone into CJ's room? Oh God! CJ. <em>The questions swirled in Sarah's mind. Panic threatened to consume her, but she forced herself to remain calm.

"Oh crap!" Sarah heard a voice exclaim from the bathroom. Sarah knew that voice immediately- it was the voice which she had gotten accustomed to over her past ten plus years in Burbank, it was the voice that was constantly reassured her; it was the voice of the only man she had ever loved.

"Chuck?" Sarah called out into the darkness.

She heard a commotion in the bathroom and was about to call out to him again when Chuck popped head popped between the doorway.

"Hey babe. I'll be out in a second." Chuck called and Sarah could barely mark out his features.

Two minutes later, Chuck entered the master bedroom. By then, Sarah had already turned on their bedside table lamps and was no sitting up against the bed's headboard.  
>Chuck took a seat on the bed next to her. "Hey." he greeted his wife again, but this time he placed a lingering kiss on her lips and then greeted the baby.<p>

"Hi yourself."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you. I know how tired you must be." Chuck said noticing the fatigue that inflamed her eyes.

Sarah shook her head and laced her hands with his. "It's OK. When did you get back?"

Chuck looked at his Rolex watch. "The plane landed around 12:00. Beckman debriefed us on the trip home. And I finally made it from the airport at about 12:45."

"I thought you needed more time to complete the mission."

"There were a couple of hiccups. Although it wasn't my fault. I specifically told Casey that if it looks like a bomb, and ticks like a bomb, then it's generally a bomb. But you know how Casey gets. Oh! And I may or might not have shot down Casey's helicopter with his own gun." Chuck added sheepishly.

"I'm surprised he didn't kill you."

"Well..." Chuck drawled. "He was probably going to but then Morgan reminded him that he wouldn't want to deal with and I quote ' an extremely hormonal CIA assassin who's trained in over 200 ways to kill him." Chuck noticed that Sarah's eyes had narrowed considerably so he continued quickly. "Anyway, we would've been longer but we had help from a certain red-head."

"Carina?"

"The one and only."

"What was she doing there?"

"She said something about having a couple of days off and wanting to visit each island in the archipelago and sampling their national dishes." Chuck paused for a moment. "Though I'm not too sure if she meant the actual food or sampling the men." he added.

"Knowing Carina, it's probably the latter."

"Anyway, she had just finished a drug operation in Panama and as I said she had a few off days so she lent us a hand and we wrapped up quickly."

"That's good." Sarah said.

"She also mentioned something about how it was going to me so much harder to find something to spice up our sex lives now that we'd have two kids running around."

"Again, typical Carina. She never was a prude."

"Figures."

"I missed you." she said staring directly into his eyes. "We missed you."

"Honey, I missed you guys too. You know how important you guys are to me. And a day didn't go by that I didn't wish we were together. And I know that doesn't make it any better but I really hope you didn't worry yourself sick. But I'm here now, so can we just concentrate on that? Please?"

"Fine."

They both lay down in bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Do you need your 30 minutes of complete silence tonight?" Chuck asked, though he found that Sarah rarely did unless something weighed heavily on her mind. Usually, it was because she was mad at him about something or - But it simply wasn't in Chuck's nature to let Sarah go to bed angry and so they usually ended up talking about whatever was wrong and on the occasions that she was in fact mad at him, that would lead to make up sex.

Sarah sighed. She had missed snuggling with him, and there was no doubt in her mind that her cuddling needs outweighed Chuck's. If someone had told her ten years ago that she would fall in love and become a needy, love-crazed girl, she would have laughed, and then knock their lights out for suggesting such a thing about Langston Graham's Wild Card Enforcer. But now, she embraced the idea; because being in love with Chuck was sensational. He wasn't the James Bond type of spy that she had worked with countless of times. Sarah was glad she didn't fall in love with James Bond, because being in love with Chuck Bartowski was so much better. He was loving, compassionate, nerdy, fiercely loyal, ingenious, charming, and handsome - he was everything she needed. Sarah trusted him, more than she had ever trusted anyone in her entire life

Before meeting him, she didn't know how someone could love another so deeply, but now she understood. When you find someone that you care about, that loves you for being you, despite your past and your many shortcomings, it was hard to walk away. Chuck was her soul mate; he was a gift, one she would treasure for the rest of her life.

"Sarah?" Chuck snapped her out of her musings. His face was hovering over hers and concern was written all over it.

"Hhm? No. I'd love to cuddle."

She didn't have to tell him twice. Chuck shifted his body so that he was now spooning Sarah, his hands resting on her belly. He sighed contentedly. "I love you Sarah." he said and placed a kissed her temple.

"I love you too Chuck, and nothing's ever gonna change that." _You're my home._

Wednesday

"Now, Mrs. Bartowski …" Chuck began as he trailed kisses down Sarah's jaw line to her neck. He stopped where her neck met her shoulders and let us warm breath ghost over her skin. The sharp intake of breath by Sarah confirmed what Chuck already knew, Sarah wanted him.

"I believe you have something to show me." he told her, looking directly in her piecing blue eyes before capturing her lips in a scorching kiss. Sarah revelled in the kiss, the feel of his mouth on hers, the faint taste of maple syrup from breakfast, the way his hands travelled up and down her body, making her feel as though her body was on fire. He was intoxicating but Sarah soon found the need for air pressing.

_Oh you cannot be talking about negligee at a time like this_. "Yea." she barely managed to say confirming that she did have something to show him. "Do you-" Sarah stopped short and licked her lips, Chuck was again kissing her a sensitive spot and it was driving her insane. She wasn't even sure she could form a cohesive question especially since Chuck was causing her to shiver and her body ached for his touch. Slipping her eyes shut in an effort to concentrate, she began again "Would you like me to put it on now?" Her voice came out as a hoarse whisper and she really hoped the answer would be no.

Chuck stopped kissing her and looked pensive for a moment. "No, I think you can save it for a later." he said with a bright smile matching hers. "Besides," Chuck continued and stepped away from her "It would just end up in the floor in a couple of seconds just like this one." he finished with a smirk on his face.

Sarah felt her cheeks go pink and an embarrassed giggle escaped from her lips. When Chuck had stepped away from her, Sarah felt a slight chill over her body. She would have chalked it up to the loss of his body heat as had been completely oblivious when Chuck slipped the nightie's straps from her shoulders._ Damn he's good._

_/_

"You're quiet." Chuck told her. They were lying in bed, with Sarah's pressed against Chuck's back. His hands currently rested on her belly, drawing small circles on her skin.

Sarah shifted in his arms, which took a little effort until she was able to face him. "As opposed to ten minutes ago?" she asked with a small smirk.

Chuck blushed. They **both** had been pretty loud. "But seriously, is something wrong ?"  
>Sarah averted his gaze, suddenly finding his chest hair interesting. Chuck noticed her hesitance and lifted her chin so he could look directly in her eyes. "Come on, you know you can tell me anything."<p>

"I've just been feeling uneasy for the past couple of days, with you being gone and I guess I'm getting pretty anxious about the baby." Sarah shrugged before continuing "I was worried about you and the mission seemed so dangero-"

"Hey." Chuck cut her off "you don't have to worry about me. OK? I told you already. I won't be going on any missions that are gonna take more than a day. And even that's a stretch- I also told Beckman no to missions that'll go overnight. The same goes for Morgan. Casey agreed with us. I mean he'd probably kill us both if we got injured knowing what'd it would do to you and Alex." Chuck saw Sarah smiling at the last part.

"We're gonna help out one of the other teams with logistics but that's as far as it'll go and help some of the agents with their hacking skills while Casey will go on the missions to make sure everything goes smoothly.

"Beckman agreed to that?" Sarah asked incredulously.

"Sarah, come on! Auntie Becky has a soft spot for us. I mean we are the A-Team."

Sarah laughed. "I cannot believe you just called her that! Chuck, it's only cute when CJ does."

"Hey! That's not fair." Chuck pouted.

"Seriously. Don't call her that anymore."

"Fine." Chuck whined.

"You know, I would make it up to you if I hurt your feelings."

Chuck's smile brightened at that. "Oh really?" He asked "And how would you do that Mrs. Bartowski?" He finished with a cheeky smile while manoeuvring so he now hovered over her.

"Like this." Sarah told him as she pulled him down to her, Chuck being extremely careful not to place pressure on her stomach. Sarah's lips connected with his and Chuck failed miserably to suppress the groan emanating from his throat. _Yup, she'll be the death of me._

"Better?" Sarah asked, her eyes sparkling with delight.

"A little." Chuck replied before capturing her lips again in a sensual kiss.

"Mhhmmm Chuck" Sarah whispered, suddenly finding it difficult to form coherent sentences. She broke the kiss and lightly pushed Chuck from off her. Chuck was surprised, he thought they were beginning round four so he turned to Sarah, his eyes questioning.

"I'd love to continue this." Sarah started "I really would but I can't."

Chuck pouted. "Why not? I promise you'll enjoy yourself."

"Oh I would never doubt that honey. I mean every time I'm with you it's amazing. But I think you broke me during round two and I was lucky to recover for round three which wore me out. And I have my doctor's appointment in two hours."

"Fine."

"Besides, we've still got tonight." Sarah said and kissed him on the cheek. She then slid out of bed.

"Not that I don't appreciate the view…" Chuck began, throwing Sarah a wink which caused her to blush "but where are you going? And if you're looking for your nightgown it's over here." Chuck reached down and picked it up from the floor and handed it to her.

"Thanks. I think I'm gonna go find something to eat. The baby's hungry."

Chuck got out of bed and threw on his pyjama bottoms and a T-shirt. "What are you in the mood for?"

Sarah cocked her head to one side, contemplating. "Something with blueberries."

"OK, I'll go whip something up."

"Chuck, you don't have to. I mean you made breakfast this morning and-"

Chuck silenced her with a kiss and wrapped his arms around her. Looking directly into her eyes he said "I want to because I love you."

"I love you too."

"Great! So now that's settled, Mrs. Bartowski would you like to join be downstairs for brunch?"

"It'd be my pleasure." Sarah smiled at him.

/

Sarah and Chuck were seated in the waiting room of her doctor's office. Chuck was currently reading a pamphlet which listed different pregnancy superstitions from around the world.

"Well this is interesting." Chuck said "In China that pregnant women should avoid using glue or other adhesives, as it may cause birthing complications. Also, hammering nails is thought to cause deformity in the foetus. And pregnant women in Guatemala, particularly those of Mayan descent, may stay at home throughout the entire nine months of their gestation out of fear of exposure to illness, evil spirits, or the ill will of others." He looked at Sarah, who was tapping her foot anxiously.

"Sarah? Sarah?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you please stop worrying?"

"I'll try."

Five minutes later, they were ushered into the doctor's office.

"Sarah, Chuck. How are you guys doing today?" Dr. Hinds asked them.

"We're doing pretty great." Chuck answered for the both of them.

"And Sarah, how have you been feeling since our last visit?"

"Mostly tired."

"Have you been under a lot of stress lately?"

"Not really. I take this easy at work and my family helped out with CJ when Chuck travelled, so I wouldn't say that." Sarah said. "But I have been feeling anxious about the baby." she confided.

"Have you been experiencing pain?" the doctor asked concerned.

"No. No." Sarah shook her head. "Nothing like that. This may sound really silly but … I had a dream that I went into premature labour and I've been a bit anxious since."

"Lots of mothers feel anxiety when they're nearing the end of their pregnancies. However, you shouldn't worry too much. Our last appointment showed that everything was fine and the baby was progressing normally. You're not scheduled for an ultra-sound today but I'll see if I can arrange one, just to make sure. OK?"

"That would be great, thank you."

The doctor excused herself and went to arrange for said ultra-sound.

"I'm glad you told your doctor about your anxiety." Chuck told Sarah while interlocking her hand with his.

"Yea. I just want to make sure everything's OK."

"I'm sure it is."

"Since we're in the topic of baby, we really need to narrow down on the names."

"I'm still rooting for Leia or Serenity as a first name." Chuck said with hopeful puppy dog eyes.

Sarah shook her head. He was still at it.

Dr. Hinds re-entered the room. "I was able to arrange the ultra-sound. But first, Sarah I want to check your blood sugar and blood pressure levels, in addition to your weight. So if you'd just step on the scale…"

"I told you everything was fine." Chuck told Sarah as they walked through the mall.

"Yea, yea." Sarah said. She was quite relieved when the ultra-sound revealed that their baby was healthy. The doctor had also said that she was gaining an appropriate amount of weight and her blood sugar and plod pressure levels were in normal range. "Come on, Kathleen told me about this store. I want to check it out."

Sarah pulled Chuck into another baby store. She didn't know what it was, but something about seeing baby clothes just made her happy. Her eyes spotted a pair of pink booties and she immediately went for them. "Chuck, look at these, aren't these the cutest baby booties you've ever seen?" Sarah gushed.

Chuck didn't reply for a moment but only smiled at his wife and at how happy she was. "Um honey, didn't your mom buy a pair of pink shoes already?" Chuck asked innocently.

Sarah's head snapped back up to him. "Sweetie, mom bought a pair of ballerinas and those were fuchsia."

"Riiight" Chuck replied. "Not that I have anything against pink, but I think we should look at some other colours. Like I don't know purple." he said pointing to a sundress that was on a rack.

"Honey, that's lilac." Sarah laughed. "But close enough. That dress is nice though so you can put that in the shopping basket as well."

Sarah and Chuck continued to make their way throughout the store, picking up blankets, onesies, washcloths, rompers and other articles of clothing as they went. Chuck had even found a cute little stuffed bunny for their little girl. They were on their way to the cashier when Chuck stopped Sarah.

"Honey. We HAVE to get these." he told Sarah, holding a onesie in each hand. Sarah looked at them and had to admit, they were pretty awesome. The first one was a pink, purple and white onesie with the words 'If you think I'm pretty, you should see my Mommy!' And the other, which was red, had the picture of a computer and the words "Nerd" in bold black letters.

Sarah's eyes light up at the sight of the two pieces. "Definitely. And we should get the NERD one for Morgan, he's gonna freak!"

/

"Ya know, this is probably one if the best things about being your own boss." Chuck told Sarah as they sat down in an In n Out Burger division inside the mall.

"What? Taking any day off?"

"Not exactly…" Chuck said stretching across the table to take her hands in his. "Taking the day off to spend with my beautiful wife."

Sarah smiled. "Flattery will get you everywhere. You're not so bad yourself. I'm stuffed, so we should probably get going. I wanna check out a couple more stores before we leave to go pick up CJ from school."

Chuck's gaze swept the floor where their various purchases rested. He honestly thought they were done for the day. "I actually thought we were finished shopping for the day. How about I go throw this trash away and then take these bags to the car. And I'll meet you in…" he trailed off, waiting for Sarah to indicate which store.  
>"Toys R Us. I wanna check out that Star Wars light saber they were advertising."<p>

"OK, I'll see you in about ten minutes."

* * *

><p><span><strong>Thursday<strong>

"Hey Morgan. Buddy, listen, I need you to do something for me. And no Sarah cannot know about it." Chuck paused and allowed Morgan to speak. "Yes I realise that honesty is important in a relationship, who do you think I am?" he asked incredulously. "Listen; just meet me in my office at 10:15. OK? Chuck hung up.

"Whose relationship are you talking about?" Sarah asked as she entered the kitchen. She was clad in a pink camisole and plaid boxer shorts. Chuck thought she looked beautiful.

"Huh? Ahhh... Nobody's. We were just talking in general."

"Huh," Sarah said unconvinced, "Chuck? You remember our rule right? No secrets, no lies."

"Yup." Chuck nodded. "Husband remember, I have the ring to prove it. You tell me things you wouldn't tell other people."

"Exactly." Sarah confirmed "Which means the same should go for you

"I know that. But it's nothing to worry about." Chuck attempted to placate her. "Have I told you how beautiful you look this morning?" he asked with a nervous laugh. "I mean... and you smell fantastic too." The sound of the toaster stopped his rambling. "Hey, maybe that was just the pop tart," Chuck said taking a whiff of the warm snack, "I gotta go shower. See you in ten minutes." He left the room, leaving a very confused Sarah leaning against the kitchen counter.

/

At 10:10, Sarah entered Chuck's office. There she found Morgan waiting for him.

"Morgan?" Sarah eyed him suspiciously. "What are you doing? Is Chuck up to something?"

"I don't know. You'd know better than me." he said, failing miserably to hide the fact that even after all these years, Sarah still intimidated him sometimes.

"You know Morgan," Sarah began, her hands on her hips as she walked toward him, "You and I haven't really had the chance to talk lately."

"Well you know, we've both got babies on the way, lots to do at work. It's just a busy time in our lives." Morgan laughed nervously.

Sarah narrowed her eyes at him. "Sit." she commanded. She looked at him intently, "Morgan, you do know that you shouldn't piss a pregnant woman off don't you?"

"Was that a rhetoric question? Cause I'm not sure, Literature was never my strong suit."

Sarah ignored his comment. "And you really shouldn't piss a pregnant CIA agent off. So you're gonna tell me exactly what I wanna know!"

Morgan gulped. Sarah tapped her foot, waiting for an answer, they both turned when they heard the door open.

"Chuck!" Morgan jumped from his seat at the entry of his best friend. "So glad you're here. Your lady is intimidating. I tried not to make eye contact, but she kept pulling me in with this gaze. But don't worry, I didn't say anything."

"Ahem." Sarah said and the men turned to her.

"Lots of work to do, Chuck I'll talk to you later. See ya Sarah." Morgan said and scrambled out of the room.

"Honey?" Chuck began, "Would you mind telling me what is going on?"

Sarah's eyes never left Chuck as he walked toward his desk and placed the file he had entered with down. "I don't know sweetheart," she stressed the last word, her gaze penetrating "I was hoping you'd tell me."

"Well...I'm about to look over the annual quarterly reports if you wanna help."

Sarah's eyes flashed a shade which anyone who knew her well enough knew they were entering dangerous territory. "Chuck..."

"You really wanna know?"

"Desperately."

"It's a surprise."

"I hate surprises."

"I know that. But I promise, you'll really like this one. Just trust me Sarah." Chuck said and gave her the full Bartowski charm effect.

"Fine." she grudgingly conceded. "The board meeting was pushed back to one o'clock. So we can go over these reports together and then go to lunch."

* * *

><p><span><strong>Friday<strong>

Chuck and Sarah had left work early, giving their employees permission to do the same. They had then gone to the supermarket before picking up CJ from school.

When Chuck entered the kitchen, he found his wife wiping down the counter, having just fed Clara, CJ and Oliver their snack.

"Do you wanna go out on a date some time? And I mean a date without any distractions no business calls or sudden mission briefings to distract us. Just you and me."

"Like a real date?

"Yea. It'll be fun."

"Chuck, I'm six months pregnant, I don't know how much fun I'd be."

"Sarah come on! What do you have to lose? In a couple of weeks, we'll be busy painting the nursery and lots of other stuff to get ready for the baby and in three months she will be here." Chuck said and placed his hands on her belly. " Then things will start getting crazy as we try to manage a new-born and an over-excited five year old while keeping abreast of the developments at work. And you're gonna wish that you had spent one last night of fun and romance with me."

She shrugged and then smiled. "OK."

"Really?"

"Mhhm."

"Tonight."

"Tonight? Chuck, if the insane amount of toys we have lying around the house isn't an indication, we have three kids in the house. Or have you forgotten that we're babysitting for Ellie and Devon since they both had to deal with the mass casualty because of the accident on the freeway?"

"I haven't forgotten. It's hard to when you step on at least ten Legos on your way down a flight of stairs. NOT pleasant. But I've got it covered, Mom said she'd babysit, she'll be here around five."

"OK. It's a date." Sarah smiled.

"I've got magic coming your way baby. Magic." Chuck said. "Now, I'm gonna get the kids to put away their toys."

/

Mary actually showed at four o' clock, eager to see her grandkids.

"Mimi!" the three children greeted her when she entered the house and rushed to shower her in kisses.

"I missed you guys so much. And you're getting so big!"

"Hey Mom. Remember me? Your son?"

Mary finally turned her attention to him. "Hey Chuck. It's good to see you too." she said and kissed him on his cheek. "The kids and I will be fine; you go get ready for your date."

"We won't be leaving until six but I see where I'm not needed." Chuck joked and headed up the stairs.

Mary turned back to her grandchildren. She lifted Oliver onto her hip. "So what do you guys want to do? We could go to the park and take Chazzie with us." That suggestion got three excited squeals.

In less than fifteen minutes, Mary had her grandchildren ready to go. They were now impatiently waiting in the living room with Sarah. Chuck was attaching Chazzie to his collar and Mary was making sure she had everything they might need.

"OK, I'm ready." Mary said entering the living room.

"Finally!" Clara moaned.

"Bye Uncle Chuck and Auntie Sarah." Clara said and made her way to the door.

"Buh bye." Oliver told them.

"Bye Mommy, bye Daddy!" CJ said giving them each a kiss on their cheek.

"Bye, you kids be good." Sarah told them.

"Mimi!" CJ called from by the door.

"Hurry!" Clara yelled.

Sarah chuckled. "You sure you can deal with the three of them? I mean they do have a lot of energy."

"Are you calling me old?" Mary challenged with a smirk on her face.

Sarah smirked also, remembering the conversation from their first meeting. "Not old," she clarified "just slow."

"I'm sure Mom can handle it." Chuck said. "Do you have your keys." he asked his mother.

"Yes, now I have to get going before these kids come and drag me away. I'll see you guys later." Mary said. She kissed Chuck on his cheek and bent down to place a kiss on her daughter-in-law's forehead and rubbed her stomach, before going to the door'

"Thanks." Chuck called out after her.

"No problem!" she replied as she ushered her three excited grandchildren and Chazzie out the door.

/

"Have I told you how beautiful you are tonight?" Sarah smiled at the compliment and the spark of genuine emotion in his eyes. "Seriously, you defy the boundaries of mortal beauty.

"Thank you, that was very sweet."

"Sweet? Golly gee, thanks for making me feel like I'm eight." he joked.

"But you're not so bad yourself."

"Please! I'm fantastic."

"Yes, you are." She looks at him, their eyes immediately locking each other. Sarah loves his eyes; she could lose herself within their depths. Chuck feels the same way. After studying her for so long, piece by piece breaking down her walls with the strength of his love, he's realised that her eyes are the windows to her soul. And even though every aspect of her draws his gaze into sharp focus, Chuck thinks he loves her eyes the most. He's glad that they don't have to hold back now, Sarah doesn't veil her emotions. Instead, he is now privy to the unadulterated emotions, without the accompanying guarded sheen.

They both lean in at the same time. Their lips meet, and the tip of Sarah's tongue slipped slightly between Chuck's parted lips. Like all their kisses, he begins to lose himself in it, almost, just almost forgetting where they are. He breaks the kiss, and casts a grin in Sarah's direction. She smiles back and they continued to peruse the menu before their waiter comes to take the order.

/

"What are we doing here Chuck?" Sarah asked as they stood in the lobby of The Grand Ambassador Hotel. She looked around; it was just as luxurious as the time when they had come here to find the Turners. The polished marble floors, glitzy chandeliers and the unique architecture also enhanced the luxurious atmosphere of the hotel.

"You'll find out soon enough." he answered coyly. Chuck went up to the receptionist and got the key to the room he'd booked. Sarah looked at him quizzically. "Shall we m'lady?" he asked offering his arm.

"By all means." Sarah said as they made their way to the elevator.

Their room was on the seventeenth floor. When Chuck opened the door for Sarah, she was amazed by the room. Sarah took in the massive king size bed, the high ceilings, plasma TV and gorgeous decor. The room was absolutely stunning. The bathroom was equally spectacular with marble everywhere, crystal chandeliers, frosted glass doors, huge bathtub and an LCD television embedded above the bath. They would definitely be putting that tub to use later.

"Chuck this place is amazing! What are we doing here?"

He shrugged. "We won't be able to go on a babymoon this time, so I thought I could at least give you this. I mean, it's not a full blown vacation but"

"Chuck," Sarah stopped his ramble "Shut up and kiss me."

Hours later, Sarah was lying on her back, with some effort; she managed to get on her side. "Are you awake? Can you hear me Chuck?" No answer. "I love you Chuck

It was in these quiet moments that Sarah sometimes let her mind wander. _What if I hadn't met Chuck? _They would never had fallen in love, she wouldn't have the wonderful family she did now; her life would have been empty. Without Chuck, she'd be nothing but a spy. Sarah pushed such thoughts from her head, focusing in more positive things. He'd set her free from her past, and she was happier than she would have ever thought possible.

/

When Chuck awoke, Sarah's head was in his chest. The sunlight was peeking through the hotel windows and the rays reflected on Sarah's blond halo of hair. Chuck brushed a lock of hair from her beautiful face. She stirred momentarily, but then snuggled further into his chest. It could be considered creepy, watching someone so intently while they were sleeping but Chuck didn't care. How could he not stare at this work of art? Nobody compared to Sarah. She wasn't perfect, no one was. But she loved him, he loved her. And that was simply amazing.

Spies don't fall in love, everyone had told them. But they had proved that they were the exception to the rule, and Casey and Gertrude were doing so as well.

He noticed Sarah looking up at him. He smiled down at her and leaned in for a brief kiss.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, what were you thinking about?" Sarah asked as they both sat up against the headboard.

"Just how happy I am with you. I love you Sarah." Chuck said staring intently into her ocean blue eyes. Gosh! He loved her eyes; you could lose yourself in them. "And one more time, because it feels so good to say, I love you." Sarah smiled; this was a very familiar speech. "You and I are perfect for each other," Chuck continued, taking her hands in his, "I'm gonna kiss you now, if that's ok."

"Like you even had to ask."

When Chuck and Sarah finally stopped kissing, they were both flustered and breathing hard. "I love you Sarah, always have."

Sarah loved Chuck's eyes; they were so warm and reflected his emotions so well. Whether it was because of the hormones or not, Sarah was overcome by the emotions that overtook her and tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "I love you too Chuck, more than you could ever imagine." With that, she grabbed Chuck by the face and smashed her lips to his, pouring everything into the kiss. Her hands immediately went into his hair, pulling him closer to her.

Sarah's fingernails raked down Chuck's back. _That's definitely gonna leave a mark. _But he didn't mind. Instead, he relishes in the breathy whisper of his name as it is expelled in gasping anticipation from her lips. They stop, but only for a moment and Sarah feels her body burn with desire under Chuck's smouldering gaze. Their lips pursue contact again, and waves of goose bumps ripple across both their skins. Chuck's hovering over her again, as their tongues battle for dominance. His skilled tongue sweeps over hers, treating Sarah to a wickedly delicious sensation. Kissing Chuck Bartowski is amazing, it's like a drug Sarah thinks. She yields herself to him, something she would have never done before meeting him. But now, how could she not? One could not simply walk away from Chuck; everything about him was just too intoxicating.

With every touch, every kiss, the fire intensifies. They've gotten accustomed to this, but every time it's just as wonderful. Pretty soon, they both lose all semblance of rational thought as they enter a state of absolute bliss.

/

Sarah quickly put on her robe when there was a knock at the door. Upon opening it, she was greeted by room service.

"Good morning ma'am. I'm sorry to disturb you..."

"Right, I'll take it from here."

"Is there anything else I can get you?" the greying man asked.

Chuck came up behind her, clad in plaid pyjama bottoms a blue T-shirt. He grinned and took the tray "Actually, I think we have everything we need. Thanks."

The man nodded in understanding. "Very well." They both grinned at him; Chuck gave him a tip and then shut the door.

Saturday, January 27th 2018.

John Casey stood in his boxer shorts, looking in his closet for something to wear to the family dinner tonight. _I really need to do the laundry. _He had been on three missions consecutively and had yet to find the opportunity to do the laundry. Though he and Chuck had returned from the Caribbean on Tuesday, he hadn't had the time, and that was mainly due to his girlfriend, Gertrude's insistence on them making up for lost time. Not that he minded. Not at all.

"You know John," Gertrude called from the doorway, "If you don't put on some clothes soon, we will be late for dinner. If we make it at all." She was already dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a crème shirt and her brown ankle boots.

Casey swallowed. "I would get dressed, except I can't find a clean shirt anywhere."

"Oh! I almost forgot." Gertrude said. She went to the closet and pulled out her suitcase. Upon opening it, she took out a box. "I got this for you in Minsk; maybe you can wear it tonight."

Casey took the box from her. "It's a sweater. Why's it so soft?"

"It's cashmere."

"It doesn't feel flame-retardant." Casey countered. "But thank you."

Gertrude could only shake her head. "You're welcome. Put it on and let's go."

/

Ellie answered the door with a glass of wine in her hands. "Hey guys," she greeted her family, "we're putting out some hors d'oevures so come on in."

"Hey sis." Chuck greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. "Are Morgan and Alex here yet?"

"No, they called and said they might be a little late." Ellie said "Sarah you look great!"

Her ear hair was tumbling in lustrous waves of golden sunshine down to her shoulders and she was clothed in a jacket and jeans. "Thanks. I'm still a bit ticked off that I now have to wear these horrible maternity jeans though."

"Please, you look fantastic."

"That's what I always say; she can wear a burlap sack and make it look like it came from a major fashion house." Chuck agreed.

Sarah blushed at the compliments. Ellie turned her attention to her nephew, "CJ, your Uncle Devon just finished giving Oliver a bath and Clara's upstairs playing. You can go join them."

/

By seven o' clock, most of the family was there, Morgan and Alex had showed up first, with Mary, Emma and Molly arriving at the same time.

"So tell me about your day." Ellie told her family members, "fun parts only." she clarified.

"Hmm...Fun parts only." Chuck said. Each member proceeded to relate the events of their day, recounting any outrageous thing that happened.

"This is fun, talking openly about our day." Ellie said.

"It's the best."

They all turned when they heard the front door open. "Hey everybody," Casey said.

"Sorry we're late." Gertrude added as she held up two bottles of wine.

"Perfect timing, we're just about to sit down and eat." Morgan said

"Uh, I'd like to make a toast." Sarah said. "Chuck and I have done a lot of thinking this week and I was thinking how different my life would be if I hadn't met you. I probably wouldn't have any friends. But I look around here today and I realise that because of Chuck I do. Nobody in the world is closer than we all are. So thank you, not only for being the best friends ever, but for being a family that I could rely on. So, cheers." Sarah raised her glass which contained non-alcoholic wine.

'Cheers." Everyone chorused and raised their glass, the children also being allowed to have non-alcoholic wine.

Sarah clinked her glass with Chuck's and leant in for a kiss. "I love you." he mumbled in her ear.

/

Morgan was sitting on the couch playing Mario Kart with CJ.

"This is where I make my come back." Morgan told CJ, as he tried to take out CJ from first place, "This is where I make my comeback!"

CJ smirked. Uncle Morgan had nothing on him.

"What?" Morgan asked dumfounded. "You used cheat codes! Didn't you?"

"I'm just better." CJ replied confidently.

"Not fair." Morgan complained.

"I think it's my turn now Uncle Morgan." Molly said as she sat down.

"No, it's **my **turn." argued Clara.

"No it's not."

"Yes it is!"

"Hey!" Morgan interjected, "I'll switch the game to four players and we can all play. OK?"

"Yea!" the three kids shouted excitedly.

/

The women had retired to Ellie's study as she wanted to show them some designs she had in mind for both nurseries. Chuck noticed his nephew playing with the ball on the floor and went to join him. 'Hey Olly, everyone left you all alone? You wanna play ball with Uncle Chuck?" They spent about fifteen minutes playing catch when Chuck noticed that Oliver was constantly rubbing his eyes. "Oh you're tired. Come on let's get you to bed." Devon entered the room, having just ended a call from the hospital. "Everything OK at work?"

"Yea, just a change in schedules." Devon turned his attention to his son, "Did you have fun playing with Uncle Chuck?" the little boy nodded. 'Well it's time to get you to bed. Say good night to Uncle Chuck Oliver."

"Night night." he mumbled sleepily.

"Good night buddy."

/

Molly, CJ and Clara went up to her room as Clara was excited to show the Hello Kitty Karaoke Machine Grandma Honey had given her. Chuck and Morgan then decided to join Casey in the living room.

"Whatcha ya doing Casey?" Morgan asked.

"The housemaid is laying out coffee spoons with the dinner service! There's gonna to be hell to pay at Downtown Abbey tonight!" Casey said with a grin.

"I didn't know you watched Downtown Casey!" Morgan said, his eyes bulging from the surprise.

"What's next? Writing fanfic?" Chuck joked, his eyes lighting up with potent amusement.

Casey growled. After glancing around to make sure the children were out of earshot, he said "I swear on all things Reagan, if you two morons don't shut the hell up I will shove my foot so far up your ass that-"

"Casey, just admit it, you looooovvvvveeeee us!" Chuck cut him off.

"Come on Casey! You know your threats don't work on us." Morgan joined in. "Besides, two words for you: Sarah and Alex. I wouldn't get in trouble with them if I were you."

"That's nice Moron, hiding behind your women." The two best friends continued their teasing banter for a couple more seconds. "Bartowski. Grimes." he warned, advancing toward the two men.

"Shutting up right now!" Chuck spoke for the both of them, Morgan making the motion of zipping his mouth and throwing away the key.

/

"I got it." Chuck said when the doorbell rang. "Are we expecting anyone?" he asked.

"Not that I know of." Ellie said.

"Carina, Zondra! What are you guys going here?" Chuck asked as he ushered them inside.

"Spur of the moment decision." Carina said.

"Well it's good to see you."

"Nice to see you too. Where's Sarah?" Zondra asked.

"Everyone's in the living room."

"You guys must really like Snoresville if you're popping in so often." Sarah said when she saw her two friends enter.

"Meh. Don't fool yourself Walker. I ran into Zondra in Barbados and she dragged me here with her."

"And you came screaming and kicking no doubt." Sarah chuckled.

Hellos, how are yous and hugs were exchanged around the room as Zondra and Carina caught up with the happenings in Burbank.

"Well I'll admit that I wanted to see the kids. From the last pictures you and Chuck sent me, they've gotten so big."

"Kids tend to do that."

"And I couldn't pass up the chance to see you waddling like a penguin." Sarah shot Carina a death glare.

"By the way Sarah, Alex, you guys look great."

"Thank you." Sarah and Alex said.

Ellie immediately fell into her role as hostess and asked the two ladies if they wanted anything to drink.

"Since Sarah and Alex can't drink, I'll drink for all of us. I'll have some Johnny Walker if you guys have."

"And what would you like Zondra?"

"A soda would be fine, thanks."

"So how long are you guys in town for?" Emma asked. "We're going shopping tomorrow if you wanna tag along."

"Should be fun. We're in." Zondra said.

/

Sarah looks around the crowded living room. Her extended family is laughing at Morgan's antics. The kids are excited not only that they get to go past bet time, but that their Auntie Carina and Zondra are there. She catches Chuck staring at her, they share a glance and she sends a brilliant smile his way, to which he flashes the Bartowski grin. As the room fills with laughter and smiles, Sarah is filled with happiness. Their family may be unconventional, but it's everything and more than she could have ever dreamed. Unconsciously, her hands drift to her stomach when the baby kicks and a smile immediately forms on her face. She is home. This is where she belongs.

* * *

><p><strong>AN#2: You guys made it to the end. :) Imagine me being able to write 1600+ word fanfic and scraping for words for my C.A.P.E. assignments, which are only 3000 words. Kudos to those writers that write monster chapters and post weekly.<strong>

**I was not sure I would have been able to post today, seeing as I was suddenly plunged into mourning when a school colleague died in a car accident yesterday. I showed my friends the music video for 'Terrified' and she gushed over how cute Zac is and I was like I LOVE HIM...Then I started to gush about him and now my friends think I stalk him, which is ridiculous right? *nervous laugh***

**Thanks so much for reading; I hope it was not too wordy. I'm not too confident with writing action, so I tried to recapture other elements of the show that we loved- the family aspect, humour, and romance. I figured since the series ended on the 27th January, I would end my story on that date as well, the only difference being that instead of the characters going in separate directions, I brought them all together.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed it. Thanks again for reading. Please leave a review.**

**Viva la CHUCK!**

**~lots of love from Barbados- Barbadiangirl.**


	2. Baby, Baby, Baby

**A/N#1:****I decided to make this 'The Life She Only Dreamed Of' a collection of one-shots. I know the first one was very lengthy, so I'll try to make the stories shorter so you guys can read them in one go.**

**I dedicate this chapter to c_harahkids_, who is an avid Chuck fan and Charah shipper and one of the coolest, most awesome, fun, and encouraging people I've ever met. Dude, as the Captain would say, you are AWESOME. **

**I don't own CHUCK...unfortunately. :(**

**Oh, and Happy Easter! :)**

* * *

><p><strong><span>May 20th 2017<span>**

When Chuck heard his wife sigh for the third time during the movie, he knew something was wrong. "Sarah, what's wrong?"

She frowned for a moment, before lifting her head from Chuck's chest and removed herself from his embrace. Sarah moved to sit up at the opposite end of the couch and Chuck did the same. "Chuck, we need to talk."

Chuck paused the movie and looked up at her. "You know, 'we need to talk' are probably the worst words to begin a conversation with. Should I be worried, causes these conversations usually go downhill really really quickly."

"No, I'm not angry or anything, I just need to tell you something." She saw the curiosity on Chuck's face and took a deep breath before giving him the news. "I'm pregnant.'

"Chuck!" Sarah screamed. "CHUCK!" All she got was the same fish out of water look from her husband. "Did you hear me? I'm pregnant."

Sarah looked at him, he seemed to be in a daze and she seriously considered slapping him out of it.

"I can't believe it!" Chuck finally managed to stutter. His eyes widened like saucers and he scooped Sarah in his arms, hoisting her in the air, a jubilant smile on his face.

Sarah, glad that he had finally come out of his stupor, sighed and led him to the couch.

"So…" she began, "what do you think about it- having another baby."

"It's definitely unexpected, but I'm happy. This is fantastic!" He looks at her face and then down to her stomach. "What about you? Are you excited?"

Sarah pondered the question for a moment. They both did want a big family, and with CJ turning five in a couple of months, it would be a good time to have a baby. "Honestly? I'm still in shock. I mean when the doctor called me in to talk about my blood tests I thought I had hypertension or something, I wasn't expecting that she'd tell me I was expecting. But I'm happy. This baby is a surprise, but he or she is a product of our love and I know that she will be loved."

"Do you think she can hear us yet?" Chuck asked as he slithers down the couch. He knelt by Sarah's stomach and began mumbling something to the baby.

"Chuck, it's way too early to be calling the baby a girl. And besides, the baby is the size of a walnut. And no he or she cannot hear you because ear drums develop in week twelve."

"Sarah!" Chuck reprimanded her. He turned his attention to her tummy again "It's OK baby, Mommy didn't mean that."

"Are you really going to spend the rest of the night talking to the baby, who can't even hear us yet?"

"Hey, you said ear drums don't develop until week twelve."

"Yea...So?"

"That's the same thing Ellie said when she was pregnant with Clara. Remember the time when we over at their place and Ellie also said it was the size of a walnut? You were paying attention weren't you?" Chuck smiled.

Sarah blushed momentarily. She had learnt quite a lot from Ellie during her pregnancy with Clara and she had stored it away for someday. "That may be true, but it was also in the many baby books we've read. Can I please have some attention as well?"

"Looks like Mommy is getting jealous, we'll talk later." Chuck said and kissed her stomach. "Now, my lovely wife, what would you like to talk about?"

"I don't want to tell people about the baby yet." She saw the confusion on Chuck's face and the confusion in his eyes. "It's not that I'm not happy about this pregnancy because I am, I just want to make sure that everything is OK before we start telling anyone. I have a doctor's appointment next week, but after I clear the first trimester, then we can start sharing the news."

Chuck nodded. Sarah's reservations about telling people were understandable, considering that it was during the first trimesters that miscarriages or complications which led to miscarriages occurred. "Ok." He smiled "It can be our little secret." Sarah smiled in return and Chuck did too, until a look of panic crossed his face.

Sarah looked at him, puzzled "Chuck? What is it? What's wrong?" she gushed out.

Chuck leapt from his seat and looked around the living rom. Sarah was going to press further when he finally started rambling "Oh my goodness Sarah! There's so much we have to do now. We have to repaint the nursery, buy new furniture since we gave most of it to charity Newborns In Need, we've got to go shopping for some new toys and we have to child-proof the house, we have to figure things out at work and-"

"Chuck." Sarah said calmly and he stopped his long list of things that needed to be done. Sarah got up and stood in front of her husband. She cupped his face in her hands and looked deep into his chocolate eyes. "Chuck, everything is fine. I'm still in my first trimester remember?" He nodded. "So, I'm sure we have enough time to cross all those things off our 'To Do List'. And as far as figuring out things at work, we're the bosses at CI and I promise we'll tell Beckman about the pregnancy as soon as I've cleared the first trimester. And I know it probably eclipsed your mind, but the house was child-proofed years ago when we had CJ and Casey did say the features were up-to-date." She then took his hand and led him back to the couch.

"Right, right." He affirmed. "But what if a mission comes up before then? What are you going to do?"

"Come on Chuck. Do you honestly believe I'd do anything that would jeopardise our baby's safety?

"No. It's just in my nature to worry."

"Chuck, we can do this and we will be ready. I just need you to do one thing for me."

"What's that?" Chuck asked, willing to give her the moon if she asked.

Sarah smiled before replying, "Don't freak out."

* * *

><p><span><strong>May 27th<strong>

"Will you stop that?" Sarah practically screamed at Chuck. They were waiting in her OB/GYN's office.

Chuck stopped tapping his foot and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I'm just really anxious." Chuck apologized.

"Me too, but you tapping your foot is certainly not going to help."

"You're right, sorry."

Ten minutes later, they were ushered into the Doctor's office. After exchanging pleasantries, the doctor began Sarah's examination. She noted her blood pressure, blood sugar levels and weight before letting them hear the baby's heartbeat. The baby was still too small to be able to see properly with an ultrasound, but the doctor promised to arrange one for when Sarah was around sixteen weeks. As the pulsating sound of their child's heartbeat echoed in the room, Chuck and Sarah smiled at each other. The doctor was pleased with the baby's progress and Sarah's weight gain thus far. She then gave Sarah a prescription for her pre-natal vitamins and cautioned her to let her know if she experienced any problems. Later, Chuck and walked out of the office, bright smiles on their faces.

* * *

><p>"But why?" CJ asked his parents for the fifth time. Chuck and Sarah had just broken the news that he'd be getting a new baby brother or sister in a couple of months.<p>

"CJ, don't you think it would be nice to have a little brother or sister?"

"Yea buddy, when he or she is old enough, you'll be able to teach them lots of stuff like how to ride a bike or how to play football. It's gonna be great, trust me."

The little boy nodded, still unsure and then asked to be excused so he could go play. Ten minutes later, Chuck found him in his room, sitting on his bed.

"CJ, what's wrong?"

"I don't want Mommy to have another baby!" The five-year old pouted and turned away from his father.

"CJ," Chuck began. "CJ, look at me." he said when his son refused, Chuck knelt before him. He then lifted CJ's chin so he would face him. "Why don't you want Mommy to have another baby?" He refused to answer, so Chuck continued, "CJ, you know you can tell your Daddy anything. Right?"

He nodded in reply.

"So tell me what's wrong. Why don't you want Mommy to have another baby?"

He mumbled something unintelligible. "Then you won't love me anymore." He pouted.

"CJ, your Mommy and I, we're always gonna love you. Nothing is ever, ever gonna change that. Chuck then turned his head in the direction of the door. "Isn't that right Sarah ?" He called out.

Outside, Sarah gasped, she didn't think he knew she was standing there. Since she had been found out, and really wanted to allay any worries her son had, she entered the room.

She looked at Chuck and blushed momentarily at being caught. "That's right CJ, just because Mommy's having another baby doesn't mean I won't love you anymore. Some things are gonna change around here," Sarah said, thinking about all the changes her family would have to make, especially as she came closer to her due date and after the baby's birth "but there's one thing that will never, ever, ever change, not even in a million years. Nothing is gonna ever make your Daddy and I love you any less." Sarah said and kissed her son on his forehead. "Ok? And we will always have time for you"

"Yes mommy."

"Good, now can I get a hug?" Sarah asked and CJ launched himself at her. Sarah closed her eyes and relished in the feel of him in her arms. She'd do anything to make sure her baby boy was safe and that he was happy.

"I love you mommy." he said when he released her.

"I love you too baby."

"Hey! What about me? Can't I get some love too?" Chuck asked feigning hurt.

CJ giggled. "I love you too daddy."

"I love you too buddy."

"Can I go play until dinner is ready?" He asked his parents.

Chuck and Sarah looked at each other, silently communicating. "Ok" Chuck said, "but as soon as dinner is ready I want you to come ?'

"Yes Daddy." CJ enthusiastically said before rushing out of the room.

Chuck looked at Sarah

"Chuck I wasn't eavesdropping on your conversation with CJ. I hope you know that."

"I know, come here." He told her, ushering her closer. Sarah accepted and Chuck placed his arm around her.

Sarah sighed contentedly. "How did you know I was out there?"

"Spidey senses remember? My Sarah sensor was going off the charts."

"No, seriously. I thought I was being really quiet, I guess I'm not as silent as I used to be."

"Do you think he'll be ok?"

"Hey, don't worry. It's not good for the baby. I think he'll be fine. I guess we had to deal with sibling jealousy at some point, but once we

'Now, are you gonna be ok?"

"Yea"

"Good." he kissed her temple, "Now come on, we've gotta get you guys fed."

* * *

><p>One week later, Carina and Zondra arrived in Burbank. They hadn't seen Sarah in a while, so they invited her to dinner so they could catch up. They'd arrived at the restaurant early, and since their table was unavailable, they headed to the bar.<p>

"I'll have a soda." Sarah told the bartender.

Zondra scoffed. "Come on Walker! Live a little."

"Yea Walker," Carina joined in "we know you're married but that doesn't mean you have to be a frigid bitch."

"And you don't have to worry; we promised Chuck we'd take a cab if we got too drunk." Zondra goaded.

"And, Mary has CJ, so you don't have to worry about him seeing you drunk. You need to loosen up a little." Carina said, before turning back to the bartender "Scrap that soda, my friend here will be having sex on the beach."

"Carina." Sarah warned.

"Fine, make that a shot of tequila."

"Coming right up."' the bartender said.

When he returned, Zondra and Carina licked their hands, sprinkled some salt, bit a lime and downed the tequila. Sarah's remained untouched.

"Sarah, come on. It'll just be one shot." Carina said.

Sarah shook her head "It's never just one shot with you guys. So no."

"Walker, you're even more up tight than you were in the CAT squad. At least back then you knew how to party a little. Is this what married life does to you? You can't even enjoy one drink!"

Sarah's eyes narrowed, her fists clenched and her nostrils flared. She knew Zondra and Carina were trying to goad her into drinking, but she hated when they got like this.

"Carina," she warned. She slid the shot over to Zondra. Turning to the bartender, she ordered a ginger ale.

"Ginger ale?! Questioned Zondra incredulously. "What are you? Pregnant?"

Sarah didn't say anything and both heads turned towards her simultaneously, surprise etched across their faces and their eyes wide.

"Seriously?!" They both questioned.

Sarah shrugged.

"Oh my god! I didn't even realise." Zondra said, looking at and inspecting her friend. It was only upon further inspection that she noticed the slight glow that Sarah had and the slightly fuller breasts- which she had attributed to a really good push-up bra, probably Victoria's Secret were actually due to pregnancy.

"And here I was thinking that you were glowing because of great sex!' Carina opined and drank the shot in one quick, fluid motion then signalled to the bartender for another.

"I really can't believe you're knocked up again Sarah."

"And that's a bad thing because?" Sarah asked, beginning to feel a little irritated.

Noticing the tension that was building, Zondra quickly intervened. "It's not! Congratulations Sarah. Carina, maybe you should lay off the drinks for a bit." she said, casting a warning look at Carina.

"I think I'm gonna go home." Sarah told her friends.

Zondra nodded in understanding and told her she'd see her later, and Carina waved bye.

/

"Hey baby." Chuck called out when he entered the kitchen and found Sarah putting away the orange juice.

"Hey." She replied, accepting Chuck's kiss in her cheek as a greeting.

She then proceeded to wipe down the counter. Chuck came up behind her and wrapped his hands around her, resting them on her stomach.

"Did you have fun with Morgan?"

"Yea, we played Call of Duty for a while, then Duck Hunt and we even started brainstorming for new games."

"That's nice." Sarah said, feeling comfortable in her current position and had no intentions of moving.

Chuck rested his chin in the crook of her neck. "I'm surprised that you're back so early though. Anything wrong?"

"I wasn't in the mood." Sarah said, breaking the embrace and going into the living room. Chuck followed and joined her on the couch. "Oh, Zondra and Carina know that I'm pregnant."

"What! How?" Chuck asked and Sarah sighed before recounting the night's events for him.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Friday,June 2nd<span>**

"Good morning." Sarah said waking up Chuck with a kiss on the cheek. He burrowed further under the covers and Sarah frowned. "Chuck, come on. Wake up."

"Don't wanna!" He grumbled, sounding much like a petulant child.

"Come on Chuck. Do you know what we have to do today?"

He grumbled.

"Mission?" Chuck groaned. " Hunt someone?"

"No."

"Blow something up."

"No again."

"Hmm... Crawl through sewers or rat holes or underground lairs filled with sewage and or rats?"

"No, no and no. Today we have a whole day off from the CIA, I mean technically, I'm gonna have a whole lotta days off because I won't be going on missions anymore but you know what I mean, and since we're the bosses at CI, we don't need to go in until late or at all.

"Yea, that sounds good."

Sarah smiled and kissed him on his cheek several times. She wasn't at all surprised when Chuck quickly turned from on his side to kiss her on the lips properly.

"And, more importantly, today I officially enter my second trimester!" Sarah said while placing a hand on her belly, which was now beginning to slightly curve.

Chuck's hand joined hers and his smile was just as jubilant as the one she wore. "Oh yea."

"You know what this means don't you?"

"That we can finally tell the family."

Emma and Molly had arrived last night and were planning to spend the weekend in Burbank. The rest of their family had already planned to come over later for dinner and Casey and Devon had volunteered to barbecue, so they would share the news then.

"I think we need to celebrate. Don't you?" Sarah asked with a flirtatious smile.

"Uh huh." He said before hovering over and kissing her passionately.

/

When Chuck finally emerged from his bedroom, he found Carina outside in the hallway.

"Carina how long have you been out here?"

She took in his appearance before responding. Chuck's hair was a mess and it looked like a hickey was forming on his neck. "The entire time." She noticed Chuck turn red and added "the entire two minutes, fifty seconds."

"Always the comedian aren't you Carina." Sarah said dryly when she came out of the bedroom, tying a robe around her waist. "What are you doing here?"

"What, not happy to see me?" She joked, "You know Chuck, if you need some endurance training I'd be happy to help."

"Carina, remember, pregnant or not, I can still kick your ass." Sarah then turned to Chuck who was slightly blushing from Carina's last remark. Sarah wrapped her arms around him, and said "But trust me, Chuck is very, very, very good in the bedroom department. He has no need for endurance training, he's perfect just the way he is."

I love you they told each other and leant in for a kiss.

Carina coughed, "Before you guys kill me with all this lovey-dovey stuff, your mom sent me to tell you breakfast is ready."

"Great, I'm starving. At least you're useful for something." Sarah said.

Carina looked back, " Come on Walker, you know I'm useful for a lot of things. Especially with me tongue." She finished and winked.

"You're incorrigible." Chuck told her.

"I get that a lot, and sassy and sexy and crass. But hey, you've just gotta roll with it." She said and walked away swaying her hips.

* * *

><p>After breakfast, Chuck and Sarah returned upstairs to shower and get dressed. Chuck had decided to drop by the office and do a bit of work, before he went grocery shopping for dinner later. Sarah came downstairs dressed in a baby blue strapless dress. She found Carina on the couch, looking disgusted.<p>

"Carina?" Sarah called "what's the matter with you?"

Carina's eyes focused in Sarah and then the pregnancy guide. "How on God's green earth can you read that thing?" She asked, her voice laden with genuine curiosity and terror.

"What? The pregnancy guide? Come on Carina, it's not that bad and besides I've read it before."

"You've read THAT before?! Why would you subject yourself to further torture by reading it again?" Carina said. "The descriptions of what goes on are just…." She stopped and shivered in disgust.

"You know, I actually find this quite funny. Bad-ass Carina Miller is afraid of reading a baby book."

Carina growled. "I'm not afraid if the book, but Lord have mercy, this would make any woman seriously reconsider child-bearing." I mean seriously, if I was considering being a mother which I'm NOT, this book would turn my mind from it.

Sarah looked pensive for a while. "I guess you have a point. But it is nice to know all the changes your body is going through. And once you get past the morning sickness, and the swollen feet, pregnancy is a really wonderful experience."

"While that may be true," Carina countered "That's one experience I won't mind missing out on. Now come on, I've been here for three days and yet have yet to go shopping."

"Why is it that every time you're here we have to go on a shopping trip and my credit card takes a hit?""

"Come on Walker! You and Chuckles have a good couple million, so there's no need to worry. I'm sure there'll be enough for college funds and stuff like that. There's no reason you can't splurge every now and then. And besides, if I'm not here to help, how else would you find some sexy outfits?"

"Chuck doesn't mind the way I dress." Sarah said confidently.

"Sure he doesn't, but when you begin to look like a whale and waddle like a penguin, and he's surrounded by brunettes, hot, and very attractive brunettes might I add that don't look like a Zeppelin, you're gonna wish you had agreed with me to go shopping."

"Oh, and Sarah?"

"Yea?"

"I wanted to apologise about last night. I didn't mean to offend you or anything. I'm happy for you."

"Thank you." Sarah smiled. "Where's Zondra? She's not upstairs."

"Oh, your Mom took Molly and CJ to the park and she decided to tag along." Carina said. "I think you're rubbing off on her too much."

Sarah ignored Carina's last comment. "So, it'll just be us going shopping then?"

"I'll text Zondra and let her know where to meet us."

"OK, I'll just go get my purse and tell Chuck goodbye."

"Goodbye huh? I really hope you mean just goodbye... I'd hate to be down here waiting a whole hour for you to say goodbye." Carina called out as Sarah made her way up the stairs.

Sarah stopped, "Come on Carina, I'd have you waiting much longer than an hour. Especially with my hormones all over the place, I'm almost insatiable."

"God Walker! Just hurry the hell up!"

* * *

><p>"Carina." Zondra warned, "I think you should stay away from the stove. Remember Saskatchewan?"<p>

"What happened there?" Ellie asked, with earnest interest as she finished the crust for the apple pie.

"Nothing!' Carina quickly said.

"Oh, we were there for a mission. Zondra said.

"And Carina nearly burnt the house down."

"While trying to boil water." Zondra added, breaking into a fit of giggles.

"Oh that's nice Walker, everyone can't be fucking Betty Crocker."

"Hey, watch your language Carina! I told you guys eardrums develop in week twelve."

Come on Carina! You know how Walker gets about that."

"Hey! It's not like the kid is gonna pop out spitting profanities."

"That may be true Carina that everyone can't be Betty Crocker," Sarah laughed and stopped to compose herself, "but seriously, what grown woman isn't able to boil hot water?"

"Wait a minute." Ellie said, causing the three ladies to look at her.

"Something wrong?" Carina asked.

"Eardrums..week twelve..kid?" she stuttered. "Oh my gosh! Sarah you're pregnant! This is so exciting." Ellie squealed and launched herself at Sarah.

"Oops." Zondra said and Carina merely shrugged.

"Um Ellie, you might want to loosen up, she's starting to look pale." Carina said.

"Oh, sorry." she said and released Sarah. "So, how long have you known? Did you see your doctor yet? Does Chuck know? have you been taking your vitamins? When do you want to go shopping? I'm free tomorrow. I'll help you redecorate the nursery too if you're interested, and-"

Carina and Zondra looked on. They'd witnessed Ellie go off in her ramblings, but it never ceased to amaze them how fast she'd speak when she was excited. She wasn't even letting Sarah get a word in.

"Ellie. Ellie. Slow down." Sarah interrupted her. "Yes Chuck knows, but besides us, no one else knows, we're gonna announce it at dinner." Sarah said with a smile on her face.

"Oh ok. Sorry I got a bit carried away." Ellie said, "It's just so wonderful. I'm really happy for you, congratulations."

"Thank you. I'm really excited too."

"Ok, I'm calm now. Finish tell me about the mission."

Carina groaned. She thought they were past this. "Do we really need to get into that now? It's almost time to eat and we aren't finished." The three ladies completely ignored her. _Oh well._

"Sarah had gone out to buy some stuff, so Carina and I stayed back. I decided to take a nap, since we would be scouting the location later that night and Carina took it upon herself to boil some spaghetti. I don't know what happened exactly, but the sprinklers went off, and that woke me up and when I found Carina in the kitchen, the saucepan was completely burnt. Next thing I know, a fire truck has arrived and the firefighters were making sure we were ok."

"Hey! You gotta admit, those firefighters that showed up were smoking hot. Pun intended"

"Yup, they were. So I guess two good things came out of that experience. " Zondra said.

"What?" Ellie asked.

"Well, Carina and I hooked up with two of them for one and Sarah and I learnt never to leave Carina unattended in the kitchen, unless she's using knives to gut fish or chop vegetables…. Anything else and it's a recipe for disaster."

That just got them laughing again. Chuck popped his head through the back door. "Hey ladies. Are you almost finished in here? Devon and Casey are finishing up the meats, so when you're finished, bring out the dishes. OK?"

"Sure thing Chuck." Ellie said. "Carina, Zondra, would you guys mind carrying out the drinks and the salads? Sarah and I will work on the dessert."

* * *

><p>After finally being able to get the children to stop running around the yard, everyone sat down to eat. By then, the sun had begun to set, so Chuck turned on the back light.<p>

"Everyone, Chuck and I have an announcement to make. But first I just want to say how thankful I am for all of you. I used to be sad that I wasn't normal or that I didn't have any real friends. No offense Zondra and Carina. But I look around here and I realise that no one is closer than we are. And I know that our baby will be very lucky to be born into such an amazing family unit."

Everyone at the table was happy about the news and each conveyed their congratulations.

"Congratulations." Casey grunted. "Just don't name it Anastasia or Vladimir or anything Russian." he grunted "God damn commie bastards!"

"Casey! Language." Ellie and Sarah admonished.

Casey grunted, properly chastised and Carina stifled a laugh. "Sorry."

"Ooohhh Uncle Casey swore!" CJ said.

"Uh huh, now you have to put five dollars in the swear jar." Clara told him.

"Five dollars? I thought it was one." Casey said reaching into his pocket for his wallet.

"Inflation." Molly explained.

Everyone turned to Molly and then to Emma who was shaking her head. "She was watching the news the other day and she heard it. Then she asked Peter to explain to her since he's an accountant."

"Speaking of Peter," Sarah said, referring to her mother's boyfriend "how is he doing?"

"Oh he's fine, he had a conference to attend or he would've joined us today."

"Oh ok, well give him our regards. Maybe you can take a plate for him." Ellie said.

"Oh yea, he requested that I did actually. I think he fell in love with your cooking the last time you invited us to dinner."

Casey handed the money to Sarah who pocketed it. "Now, I don't ever want to hear any of you swearing. Understand?" he told the four young children.

Molly, Clara, CJ and Oliver, Ellie's two-year old son all nodded. "Yes Sir!" they said in unison.

"Good. Now, if you want my iNput, I think you should go with Reagan."

"Reagan?" Chuck questioned.

"What's wrong with it? It's unisex and regal. It's perfect, and way better than any geeky stuff you and the bearded moron could come up with."

"Ok... Chuck and I will file that away for consideration. Thanks for your input." Sarah said.

Casey grunted, satisfied, at least Walker would consider it, and even if she didn't choose it, at least she wouldn't allow Chuck to name her child anything ridiculous.

* * *

><p>Everyone had gone home and Chuck had just come from downstairs, after making sure the security system was activated and that all doors and windows were bolted. He then bid Emma good night before entering his own room. There, he found Sarah getting ready for bed.<p>

"Have I told you how beautiful you are lately?"

Sarah smiled. "Thank you. I hope you'll still think that when I'm eight months pregnant and look like a beach ball and can't see my feet."

"Sarah, you'll always be beautiful to me. It doesn't matter what you look like, or what you wear. And I'm not just talking about on the outside, beneath you're beautiful too. You're the most amazing, gorgeous woman I've ever met. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Now come on, prop up those feet, and let me give you a massage."

"Oh Chuck, you don't have to."

"Nonsense, you're carrying precious cargo, it'd be remiss of me if I didn't make this pregnancy as easy as possible for you. Besides, you had a long day today, shopping and then helping out with the food."

"You're so sweet." Sarah said as he started on her right foot.

'Gee, thanks for making me feel like I'm eight." He laughed. "Did you enjoy yourself today?'

Sarah moaned as he kneaded her slightly swollen feet. "Uh huh. It was nice having everyone over, and they're so excited about the baby."

"Yea, it was. The house is gonna seem so quiet after tomorrow. Your Mom and Molly are going back home and Carina and Zondra are heading off on another mission.'"

"Yea, I know. But I'm sure CJ will be keeping us busy, and the girls did promise to stop by before they leave for Jakarta."

"Do you miss it?"

"What? Jetting across the world?" Sarah asked. Chuck nodded. She shook her head, "No I don't."

Chuck had finished his massage and she thanked him. As he climbed into bed, pulling the overs over them and then intertwining his warm feet with her cold ones, Sarah smiled. For a long time, that was her world, airports, living out of a suitcase and travelling the world without ever truly experiencing it. But now, she was living the life she had only dreamed of, one where she was surrounded by her family, as unconventional as it might be, a life where she was loved and was free to love.

"Good night baby." Chuck mumbled as he drifted off to sleep and Sarah wasn't sure if he meant her or the baby, but she responded anyway.

"Good night Chuck, I love you." She snuggled further into him, and smiled contentedly as the rhythmic sound of his beating heart finally lulled her into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

><p><strong>AN #2: I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter as well. Reviews and PMs are welcome, I'd love to know what you think about it. I have a fair amount of ideas for what I'm going to write next. I only ask that you bear with me, as exams are approaching so I'll try for an update sometime next month. Thanks for reading.**


	3. Small Bump

**A/N#1: After hearing Ed Sheeran's song, 'Small Bump' I fell in love with it. Hearing it the first time, the final two lines threw me off though, because I thought the song was about a father's excitement about meeting his unborn child, and I thought it would be great for a Chuck fanfic, but in those two lines, the lady has a miscarriage. I briefly entertained the idea of following the song in its entirety, but then I nixed the idea as a miscarriage wouldn't fit in with the ethos of this collection. But do listen to the song, it is quite beautiful, and according to the web, it was written for a friend who suffered a late miscarriage.**

**I don't own Chuck, but I do think about the show quite often. Also, all medical-related stuff is thanks to Google, if it's inaccurate I apologize. No beta, so all mistakes are mine.**

**PS: My birthday is on Monday, June 2nd, I'll be turning 17, so your response, hopefully positive would mean a lot to me.**

* * *

><p><strong>Tuesday, June 16th 2015<strong>

"A baby?" Chuck repeated, wanting to make sure his ears were not deceiving him.

"Yes Chuck, I want to have a baby." Sarah said, flashing him a brilliant smile. "I want us to start a family."

"You know that's gonna take some practise." Chuck told Sarah while giving her the eyebrow dance.

"Mmhm.' Sarah agreed. Lots and lots of practise." She continued as Chuck pulled her into his arms before bending down to capture her lips in a passionate kiss and clothes soon littered the room. Practice session number one had officially started.

* * *

><p><strong>Saturday, November 21st 2015<strong>

The past couple of months had been rough on Chuck and Sarah. Missions kept popping up, one after the other, dragging them off to different parts of the world. In the last two months alone, Team Bartowski had been to the Mediterranean, Dubai, Puerto Rico and The Republic of Congo. It was times like these that Chuck wished bad guys would just take a break. Thankfully, after all that cavorting around the world, General Beckman had seen it fit to award them with a month long vacation, and would delegate all missions to other teams, unless it was extremely pressing. Even Casey, who always complained about his itchy trigger finger when he didn't get to shoot something in a long time, and was opposed to vacations, was happy about the vacation. He would have time to catch up with Alex and spend time with his girlfriend Gertrude.

Chuck was thankful that he had such great employees at Orion Technologies. Without them, he was sure the company would have gone under with both him, Sarah and Morgan being away from operations over extended periods of time. They'd been able to secure some new contracts while in the Mediterranean also, so he felt quite happy about that. But now, his focus was on his wife, who was lying on his lap. A western was showing on the television, but neither of them was paying much attention.

"Sarah?"

"Hmm?" She replied, with a yawn.

"You're sure you're ok?" Chuck asked again. She hadn't been feeling well for about a week now. At first, she'd surmised that the constant throwing up was a result of food poisoning or the stomach flu. But Chuck now began to wonder if it was something else. "Cause we can have Ellie come over and check you up."

Sarah sighed. Her life had been so hectic; she wasn't sure what was happening with her body. She figured it knew she was stressed and was reacting accordingly. "No, I'm fine. Though Casey will probably never forgive me for throwing up in the back of his Crown Vic on our way from the airport"

Chuck chuckled. She had apologized, and Chuck had offered to pay for it to be cleaned and re-upholstered, but Casey had been too distraught to speak. "Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?"

Sarah thought about it, and the thought of food made her feel sick. She bolted from her position on Chuck's lap and ran straight to the bathroom, with her hand over her mouth.

Chuck was a bit startled by her sudden exit, but got up and followed her. As he neared the half open bathroom door, he heard Sarah heave as she emptied the contents of her stomach. He knocked on the door and entered, finding Sarah sitting on the floor close to the toilet. She was beginning to sweat, causing her hair to cling to her forehead, so he opened the bathroom cupboard and found one of her hair ruffles.

"Thanks," Sarah says to him after he pulls her golden hair back into a pony tail; she'd hate to end up with vomit in her hair. "You shouldn't be here, I'm fi-" she tries to tell him, before the second wave of nausea begins and she finds herself over the toilet bowl again. This time, Chuck sits next to her on the floor, rubbing circles on her back.

"Sarah, we both know you are not fine." Chuck said and she didn't try to tell him otherwise, she felt horrible. As a child, she hated getting sick, it meant that she couldn't go outside and play, or go on trips with her father, and them of course, there was the medication, it had always tasted so vile, as though the taste of it alone would kill you.

"And don't tell me I shouldn't be here. I want to, and remember, 'in sickness and in health'. I'm not leaving you." The couple stayed in the bathroom for about half an hour, with Chuck patting Sarah's back during each upheaval.

When she was convinced she had nothing left in her stomach to throw up, Sarah rose from her position on the floor, a little too quickly perhaps, as she immediately felt dizzy and wobbled. Thankfully, Chuck was there to steady her. "Easy there. Come on; let's get you cleaned up a bit." Chuck said and led her to the sink.

"I feel horrible." Sarah said, then looking in the mirror, she continued, "and I look horrible too."

"Never." Chuck protested, "You're always beautiful to me." He said and kissed her on her temple. He then wet a washcloth and wiped Sarah's face, and the. She brushed her teeth, and gargled with mouth wash.

"Thanks for taking care of me." Sarah said.

Chuck smiled. "I love you; you know I'd do anything for you."

"I love you too." Sarah said and then pulled him down for a kiss.

\\\\

The next morning, Chuck awoke before Sarah. He looked at her, as she lay on his chest. Something had been bothering him a lot, the nausea, the occasional dizzy spells, her inability to keep anything down...could she be pregnant? But wait, with the missions over the last four months, their baby plans had been put on hold, and the opportunities they'd had for love making had been drastically reduced. But still, wasn't pregnancy a possibility? he wondered.

"What're you thinking about so hard?" Sarah asked Chuck, her blue eyes laden with curiosity. "I've been watching you for the past five minutes, so tell me, what has your attention this fine morning."

"I have something important to talk to you about." Chuck said. Sarah noticed the seriousness in his voice and sat up against the headboard.

"Ok, I'm all ears."

Chuck hesitated, unsure of how to approach the topic. "Sarah?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think that there's the possibility that you're pregnant?" There, he'd said what he was thinking.

Sarah's eyes widened. The thought of her being pregnant had entered her mind, but she hadn't wanted to give Chuck any false hope. All the signs did point to her being pregnant, and the fact that she hadn't seen her period in a while. Wait, her period. When was the last time I had my period? she asked herself. With all those missions and the stress that came with it, she hadn't given much thought to it. So maybe she had skipped her period because of stress, or maybe, it was because she was pregnant. She and Chuck had talked about starting a family, so she hoped the latter reason was the case.

"I am late." She said, and she saw the hope in Chuck's eyes, "and with me throwing up all the time, I guess me being pregnant is a great possibility."

\\\\

After their discussion, the couple had showered, and eaten breakfast. They then decided to go the pharmacy to buy a home pregnancy test. It had been difficult to choose one, as there were so many, so Sarah, who was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed, asked the pharmacist, who turned out to be a mom of two for her advice. Twenty minutes later, they were home, the test in a brown bag.

Sarah knew Chuck was excited, and so was she, she could be pregnant, and yet, a hint of fear took hold of her. What if she wasn't? What if she really was sick? This would have been a false alarm, and Chuck, he would be so disappointed.

"Chuck, before I take the test, can I talk to you about something?" Sarah asked.

"Sarah, you know you can talk to me about anything." Chuck said and they both sat on the couch.

Sarah turned to face him, "I know you're excited, but -"

"There's a but? Aren't you excited too?" Chuck asked her, confused and upset at the thought of Sarah not wanting to have a baby anymore. "Did you change your mind about us starting a family?" Chuck asked, slightly terrified of her saying yes, "cause if you did, then that's ok... I mean we've still got some time."

Sarah was mortified. "No no, that's not what I meant Chuck. I want to have a family with you. I've thought about it a lot and having a baby with you would be so wonderful. It's not that." She clarified and took a deep breath. "It's just that, I don't want us to get our hopes up, only to be disappointed."

"Hey, hey." Chuck stopped her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Hey, it's ok. Don't worry about it. I'm anxious to have a baby with you, but if it turns out that you're not, it's ok. We can always try until you actually do get pregnant. Practise does make perfect." He finished with the eyebrow dance.

Sarah smiled, glad that they got that resolved. "I'm gonna go take the test now."

/\

Chuck and Sarah were sitting on the edge of the bathtub, waiting for the test to give the results.

"It' changing, it's changing." Chuck said as he looked down at the stick in his hand. "Is that an arrow?"

"That looks like a peace sign." Sarah said completely baffled.

"What does that even mean?" He asked Sarah who was as confused as he was.

"I don't know either." She said.

She picked up the instructions that had come with the test and fumbled with it for a moment, before finding what she was looking for. "Wow, that means yes. I'm pregnant." She said and looked over to Chuck to gauge his reaction. The smile on his face was bright; bright enough to power a small town, and hers was as jubilant as his.

He dropped the stick, and pulled Sarah's face to him, pouring all the love, passion, happiness he felt into the kiss, and she responded just as fervently. They were having a baby!

* * *

><p><strong>Friday, November 27th 2015<strong>

Chuck and Sarah were sitting in the examination room accompanied by Sarah's OB/GYN, Dr. Bentley. The doctor looked over Sarah's medical notes.

"Sarah, you're one of my patients who has always managed to lead a healthy lifestyle. That is even more important now that you're pregnant."

Sarah nodded in understanding.

"Now, we got the results from your blood work back, and your hormone levels indicate that you are eleven weeks pregnant, from that, we can estimate the date of conception to be around September fourth and by that estimate, gestation being forty weeks, your due date would be around the second of June."

"There are some things I want to explain to you. As you're probably experiencing, there will be cravings, and it's ok to satisfy these cravings, just don't over-indulge. I've seen a lot of women take the 'I'm eating for two' thing overboard, thus gaining more weight than is advised. This brings me to my next point: exercise. From your physique, I can tell that you work out frequently, but during the pregnancy, you'll have to go a bit easier. Avoid strenuous work outs, and heavy lifting. You could also look in to yoga and incorporate that into a modified work out regime."

Chuck, who was concerned about her inability to keep anything down asked about how long it would continue.

"Morning sickness is common in most pregnancies. It usually stops by the beginning of second trimester. "

"How soon do you think I'll start to show?" Sarah asked.

"It depends on a number of variables such as the mother's body structure, the position of the baby in the uterus and whether it's the first pregnancy for the mother or not. Your stomach is pretty toned, but as the baby pushes up your uterus, it'll become more apparent that you're pregnant. The sonographer is completely booked for today, so unfortunately, we won't be able to conduct and ultra sound today. But, we can hear the heartbeat of you want." the doctor said.

Chuck and Sarah smiled at each other. "We'd like that very much." Sarah told the doctor.

"Ok, Sarah, please lie on the examination table and pull your shirt up please."

Sarah did as she was told, while to doctor prepared for the examination. Chuck pulled his chair closer to Sarah and took her hand in his.

"Ok, this is a foetal Doppler." showed them the handheld device. It sends and receives sound waves that are reflected off the baby's heartbeat. "The doctor them covered it with ultra sound gel and warned Sarah that it would be a little cold.

Sarah slightly winced when it made contact with her stomach. She was beginning to feel a little concerned when after five minutes, they still hadn't heard the heart beat and cast a frightened glance towards Chuck who was anxious to hear also. He noticed her panic, and mouthed 'don't freak out'.

The doctor moved the Doppler around on her stomach a few more times until she found a spot where the heartbeat could be detected. "Ah, there it is." she told the couple as the heartbeat which sounded like the thunder of galloping horses filled the room.

Both Chuck and Sarah were completely mesmerized by the sound, and were left utterly speechless. That sound was the sound of their baby's heartbeat. Sarah was extremely relieved, she had begun to ink that something was wrong, but now, hearing that strong heartbeat assured her that her baby was there, he or she was healthy, and she was not dreaming. Much like when she had found her wedding dress, this time, she was overwhelmed by the emotions she felt, and felt the tears beginning to prick her eyes.

The doctor looked at the couple, and a smile also came to her face. This was one of the best parts of her job, seeing expecting parents completely amazed by their baby.

The thumping sound filled Chuck's ears, and he had never heard such a wonderful sound before, except maybe when Sarah laughed. "It's so fast." he commented when he regained his ability to speak.

"It is, the heart rate usually ranges from about one hundred and twenty to one hundred and sixty beats per minute. Your baby's heartbeat is well within this range. It's nice and strong which means he or she is healthy."

At that news, Chuck kissed Sarah on her temple, and she let her tears of joy cascade her cheeks.

* * *

><p><strong>Saturday, December 5th<strong>

Tonight was the night. They were finally going to tell their family about the baby. Standing in front of the mirror, Sarah analysed her body. She would soon have to go shopping for maternity clothes. Her breasts had slightly increased so most of her shirts couldn't button and her stomach had begun to slightly curve, so neither did most of her jeans. Looking at the small bump, Sarah smiled. Her baby, their baby was growing inside of her. The small bump meant so much to her, it symbolized so much, and Sarah found that she spent a lot of time staring at the bump. Eardrums developed in week twelve, and since then, both she and Chuck had begun talking to the baby. They both made sure to tell the baby how much they loved him or her and how they couldn't wait until he or she was born. Though at first she had been paralyzed by fear when she thought about raising a baby, especially considering her childhood, that was no longer the case. She'd let go of all those fears, she had Chuck, and their family, and she had no doubt that they would be an excellent support system.

Chuck entered the master bedroom and found Sarah still looking in the mirror in her underwear. "Hey baby. If we are gonna make it to the restaurant on time, you better get dressed soon."

He advanced further into the bedroom and came up behind her, wrapping his hands around her waist. "Or, we could stay right here. This would have to go though." Chuck said referring to her underwear. He then placed a kiss on her cheek, and then trailed some down her neck to her collar bone. Sarah moaned, and turned in his arms, then captured Chuck's lips in a kiss. They broke apart when the need for air became pressing.

"Maybe we can pick this up later. We don't wanna disappoint the family, even though I'd like to stay here." She was really excited about the dinner. She and Chuck had made reservations for all of them at a new restaurant, and from the reviews, she had read, the food was excellent. Her morning sickness had finally gone, so she planned on thoroughly enjoying her meal tonight.

"Curses! Foiled again." Chuck joked.

Sarah walked over to the closet and took out her new dress which had a stone bodice and a high and low tulip chiffon skirt.

"Zip me please."

"Yea, sure."

Sarah then proceeded to sit on the bed in order to put on her silver heels. She sighed, she loved her heels, and soon, she'd have to give them up. However, it was a small price to pay in ensuring that her baby was safe.

After ensuring her makeup was set, Sarah appraised herself in the mirror once again.

"Wow." Chuck said. "You look stunning." he said as he took her in, and she really was, the dress was already embellished, so she had kept the accessories to a minimum, wearing only the long drop diamond earrings Chuck had given her for her birthday, her silver watch and her wedding rings. Her hair was swept to a side and fell down in luscious waves.

"Thank you. I hope you still say that when I'm nine months pregnant, the size of a beach ball and none of my clothes fit." Sarah said as she met him halfway and smoothed the shoulders of his suit, and then fixed his tie.

"You'll always be beautiful to me." Chuck said honestly then leaned in for a quick kiss, "well, shall we m'lady!"

"By all means."

\\\\

Molly and Clara had been left at home with a sitter, so the dinner party consisted of ten persons: Chuck, Sarah, Devon, Ellie, Morgan, Alex, Casey, Gertrude, Emma and Mary.

"So, this is nice." Ellie commented as she took in the décor and ambiance of the restaurant.

"It is." Emma agreed.

"Especially since we don't get out often." Ellie said. She and Devon had recently been appointed Westside Medical's head of Neurology and Cardiology respectively, so their workloads had been increased. Add Clara to the mix, and they barely had any time to themselves.

They made some more small talk, each commenting about how their lives had been going since they last saw each other. Dinner soon arrived and before they could begin, Chuck cleared his throat. "I know it's been a long time since we've been able to get together like this. But looking at you guys tonight, being here with you tonight has reminded me of the importance of family, and I'm extremely happy that you're all in my life. It's been hectic the past couple of months and it's probably gonna get even more hectic after fi-"

"Bartowski." Casey growled and interrupted Chuck, "you were always such a blabber mouth, you're almost as bad as Grimes."

"Hey!" Morgan cried out offended. "I resent that."

"Anyway, can you hurry up? I'd hate for my salmon to get cold because of your yapping." Casey continued as though he hadn't heard Morgan.

"Always thinking about your belly, aren't you Casey." Chuck said dryly. "Anyway, before I was oh so rudely interrupted, I was saying that Sarah and I have an announcement to make."

The couple looked at each other, sharing a smile. "Come on, tell us." Morgan said, expressing what everyone was thinking.

"I'm pregnant." Sarah said. Everyone at the table looked at her in shock as the news sunk in and then they began congratulating the couple.

"That's awesome." Devon bellowed.

Ellie kept the pitch of her squeal to a minimum, realising that they were in a restaurant and she didn't want to disturb the other patrons.

Both grandparents were also ecstatic, and both ladies rose from their seats to give Chuck and Sarah a kiss in their cheeks.

"Well, I'm a bit surprised it took this long for Bartowski's chocolate and Walker's peanut butter to make a sandwich." Casey grunted, never being able to resist throwing a barb at Chuck. For that comment, he had earned an elbow to the stomach by Gertrude.

"Oh John, behave!" she chastised him jokingly.

"I knew something was up when Sarah refused wine." Ellie said. "This is really great news."

"I'd like to propose a toast." Morgan said and raised his glass, "Chuck, my hetero-life partner, Sarah, and to their baby. Congrats."

"Here here." Everyone said and raised their glasses to join the toast, before beginning to eat their dinner.

* * *

><p><strong>Thursday, January 14th 2016<strong>

Sarah had understandably been exempted from all filed missions, but she found that she didn't miss the adrenaline rush nearly as much as she thought she would have. Her time was now split between working at Orion Technologies, preparing for the baby, and spending time with Chuck and their family. She was now four months pregnant and was enjoying every moment of it.

Tomorrow, they would have their first ultra sound, and Sarah was very excited to finally see her baby. Her bump had become more noticeable, and since none of her clothes fit anymore, Ellie had taken her to the mall. During their shopping trip, they bought several items of maternity wear and a couple of neutral clothing for the baby.

She was flipping through a booklet which listed different superstitions about pregnancy and eating a bowl of Rock Road ice cream, waiting for Chuck to get home. He and Morgan were releasing another new game in a week, so they were ensuring that the launch party was properly planned and that enough copies were being distributed to the stores.

"Hey baby." Sarah began talking to the small bump. "Mommy's so excited, tomorrow, she's gonna finally see you." It had felt weird talking to the baby at first, but now, it came so easily and she enjoyed it. "Your daddy is excited to see you too. We both love you very much."

Talking to her baby, Sarah began to wonder what he or she would look like. The most important thing to her would be a happy and healthy baby. A boy would be nice though, and she hoped that despite the baby's sex that it would have Chuck's warm, brown eyes. She could already envision holding the baby in her arms, rocking and singing him to sleep, and of course Chuck would be by her side the entire time. Sarah heard the front door open and looked up to see Chuck coming through the red front door.

"Hey baby." Chuck said and sat down next to her. He kissed her on the cheek as a greeting, and then turned his attention to her stomach, placing a kiss on it. "And hello to my other baby. Daddy missed you so much."

"You know Chuck, that kiss on the cheek wasn't a proper greeting." Sarah pouted.

"I do apologize." Chuck said. Sarah was looking at him expectantly, so he wrapped pulled her face close to him, and then kissed her hard. He traced the outline of her lips with his tongue, before she finally opened her mouth, allowing his tongue to slide in. As Chuck's tongue massaged hers, Sarah couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips, and she ran her hands through Chuck's hair, pulling his face as close to hers as possible. When the need for air finally became an issue, Chuck broke the kiss, a satisfied smile on his face as he looked at Sarah whose eyes had become glassy. "Is that better?"

Sarah didn't answer, but dived back in for another kiss which was filled with passion, love and desire. "Bed. Now!" she commanded.

\\\\

As Chuck and Sarah watched the image of their baby on the ultra sound screen, they were both amazed by what they saw. At first, it all looked like one big blob, but now they could clearly see the baby's face, arms, legs, hands and feet.

The sonographer expertly looked at their baby, paying close attention to the shape and structure of the baby's head, the spine, both along its length and in cross section, in order to make sure that all the bones aligned and that the skin covered the spine at the back. She also looked at the abdominal wall, to make sure it covered all the internal organs at the front. Then she moved the transducer to look at the kidney, heart, bladder and all the limbs. Finally, she checked the placenta, the umbilical cord and the amniotic fluid.

During the detailed examination of the baby, the sonographer had explained what she was looking for. The sonographer recorded the measurements of the baby, and was satisfied that the baby was developing nicely. She then asked them if they wanted to know the sex of the baby, but Chuck and Sarah declined, wanting to wait until delivery.

/\

As they reached the parking lot, pictures of the ultra sound securely tucked in Sarah's purse, she tossed the keys to Chuck. She got in the passenger side and took out the ultra sound, then traced the picture of the baby. A wave of emotions hit her again, and she couldn't stop the smile from overtaking her face. In five months, she'd be able to gently hold her baby in her arms. They would have to get this picture framed. It represented so much. It was a scan of their unmade plans. Sarah could see the small hands in the picture and figured the fingernails must be the size of a half grain of rice. The eyelids appeared to be closed, as though the baby had been sleeping when the ultra sound was conducted, but soon those eyelids would open wide, to take in the world. In five months, her baby would be brought to life and she could hardly wait.

When they got home, Sarah who was feeling a bit tired, decided to take a nap, after having called their family to inform them that everything was progressing smoothly.

Chuck did a bit of cleaning before checking up on Sarah. Upon entering the master bedroom, his eyes settled on her form under the covers. Looking at her, he felt such love; he fell in love with her more each day. And now, they were having a baby. This baby was a product of their love. Words couldn't describe how Chuck felt, he was unbelievably happy.

He was very glad that the doctor had said everything was going according to schedule. Tomorrow, they'd be going shopping. There was still so much that needed to be done. They still hadn't decided in a colour scheme or theme for the nursery, nor had they purchased the furniture for the nursery, and there were still a lot of baby clothes they had to buy. There was no need to panic though, with the help of their family, Chuck was sure everything would be done in time. Deciding to join his wife in bed, Chuck slid under the covers, thoughts of their baby consuming his mind.

\\\

He was so tiny, Chuck thought as he held his son; Levi in his arms. He had inherited Chuck's brown eyes, and his hair, though blond had Chuck's curls. Today, he had turned two weeks old, and Chuck loved him so much already. Emma had stayed with them for a couple of immediately following his birth and had left the night before. As new parents, they had some adjustments to make. The midnight feelings especially had been tough for Sarah, as a spy, she had been accustomed to operating on little to no sleep, but add a crying baby into the mix, and things were a little more difficult. Chuck knew it was a big adjustment, but they were a team, so he tried to make it as easy as possible for Sarah. They'd both agreed that Sarah would breast feed only until the baby was a bit older. Chuck had suggested that Sarah pump milk and store it in the fridge so that when she was too tired, Chuck would take care of the midnight and early morning feelings. Unfortunately, Levi refused to take the bottle, which meant that Sarah had to be up. As a compromise, Chuck decided to stay up with her. She had protested, arguing that it made no sense both of them being up during the night and early morning or they'd both be tired. But Chuck had insisted. It was during those feelings that they both enjoyed each other's company. Since the baby had been home, they hadn't had any time to themselves so it allowed them to just sit and be with each other, watching their son and establishing a connection.

It was 4:13 when Chuck checked the bedside clock. Tonight especially had been tiring, Levi had cried incessantly, and Sarah had feared something was wrong. So he called Ellie and she'd called Emma. Both women assured him that everything was probably ok, and since Levi wasn't running a fever, vomiting or doing anything else which would indicate that he was sick, there was no need to panic. Chuck had then walked him up and down in the house, rubbing soothing circles along his back, finally getting him to quiet down. Then he took him into the nursery, changed his diaper and took him to Sarah for his feeding.

Sarah was on maternity leave from both jobs, and as the boss of Orion Technologies, he had taken some time off to spend with his family. It was an incredible feeling, the severe sense of attachment he felt towards Levi. He'd spend hours watching him sleep, much like he had done with Sarah, and sometimes, he'd even lay Levi down on the bed with him. He would watch his chest rise and fall as he took his breaths, his brown eyes twinkling when Chuck made funny faces and Chuck believed he had Sarah's smile.

Chuck looked down at the baby in his arms. He was half asleep and wrapped his fingers around Chuck's thumb, his grip strong, holding Chuck tight. Looking at Levi, and then Sarah sleeping, Chuck swore he'd do anything to keep them safe. He had made a promise to Sarah that they wouldn't become his parents; he wasn't going to abandon them.

/\

Chuck awoke from his dream, a smile on his face. Soon, that dream would be his reality. Sarah was still peacefully resting and he decided to leave her be. Before leaving the room, he kissed her on the cheek and on her small bump.

Sarah stood in the entry to the kitchen, observing Chuck as he moved around in the kitchen preparing dinner. Gosh, she loved that man. He was so loving, kind, warm, charming, handsome...He was perfect, he was everything she ever needed. Chuck was a gift that she would treasure for the rest of her life.

It was almost mind boggling how loving Chuck was, how genuine his love was for her. Growing up, her mother and grandmother had read fairy tales to her, where the princess always found true love in Prince Charming. But she'd long given up on the idea of love. Love was just another word to her. She'd seen the world, seen how people would tell others they loved them, only to back stab them or hurt them later. She promised herself that wouldn't happen to her. So maybe, she became a bit emotionless, which led some of her fellow agents to call her a frigid bitch and an 'Ice Queen'. There was no doubt they'd been surprised when rumours of her partnership and possible romantic entanglements with Bryce got out. But then she met Chuck, and slowly, the defences she'd built around her heart began to crumble. Chuck, her husband. He was the one who she loved and was happy to wake up to each day. He had dispelled every fear from her mind, and she had no doubt that they would spend the rest of their lives, loving each other more as each day passed. He loved her, despite all her flaws, her shortcomings, her past, and she loved him as fiercely. Their love was pure, and she had Chuck to thank for the life she now lived, because he was the one who showed her it was ok to love someone, that it was ok to let someone in, and open yourself up to them.

"Hey, watching me while I cook?" Chuck called out to her breaking her thoughts. "A bit creepy if you ask me."

"Hi," she said and walked up to him. "I don't call you creepy when you watch me sleep." Sarah teased,

Chuck laughed, "Hey! I object to that accusation. How're you feeling?"

"Great, that nap was just what I needed." Sarah said and filled her glass with water so she could take her prenatal vitamins.

"Dinner will be ready soon, so you can set the table."

"Ok, great. Whatever it is, it smells delicious." The smell of chicken, pasta and sautéed vegetable had assaulted her nostrils when she first entered the room, and now she was feeling a bit hungry. She had already put the plates and the glasses on the table when she felt it, and dropped the two forks she had in her hands, in order to place both hands on her stomach.

Chuck, deciding the food was finished, had just turned off the stove when he heard the forks drop, he turned his attention to his wife "Get clumsy are we?" he asked Sarah. But then he noticed the unsure expression on her face and her hands on her stomach, and began to panic. "Oh my gosh! Oh my goodness! Is it the baby? Sarah? What's wrong? Sarah, are you feeling ok? Are you in pain? Oh my goodness, we've got to get you to the hospital." He rambled. "I gotta call Ellie, and your mom, oh my goodness, this is way too soon."

He was beyond freaking out, and Sarah wasn't responding. "Sarah, please, talk to me." He said and dug in his pants pocket for his cell phone. Sarah outstretched her hand and stopped his searching.

"Chuck, I'm ok. We are both ok." she said and smiled. Her words didn't seem to getting through, so she grabbed his face in both her hands and looked indirectly into his eyes. "Chuck, the baby and I are both fine. I feel fine." For Chuck, Sarah's eyes had always given her away. Those cerulean pools had always allowed him to tell what his wife was truly feeling, even though she might have said different, and this time, he saw truth in them.

He breathed deeply. "Are you sure? I can still call Ellie to come and make sure."

"No, that's not necessary. Let's sit down." she told Chuck. She pulled out one of the dining table chairs and Chuck did the same, scooting his chair to come closer to her. His eyes never left hers, and Sarah could tell he was still worried. "I'm sorry if I scared you earlier, but everything's perfect. I think I just felt the baby kick."

His eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Really?" he asked, a smile threatening to split his face in two.

"Yes." she confirmed. She then took his hand, which was a bit clammy in hers. "Hopefully he or she does it again so daddy can feel."

Sarah lifted her shirt over the bump, and Chuck kneeled down in front of her and placed his hands to the side of Sarah's belly. "Hey baby, mommy tells me you're beginning to kick. Would you mind doing it for me again?"

They stayed like that for five minutes, waiting for the baby to kick again. "I guess I won't be feeling a kick tonight." Chuck said unable to hide the tinge of disappointment from his voice.

Sarah noticed this and said, "Chuck don't worry, I'm sure the baby will kick again soon." She said trying to comfort him.

"Yea, I guess." Chuck said half-heartedly.

He had already started to get up when Sarah felt the baby kick again. The kick had felt like an uncontrollable muscle spasm, and there had been a light tickle to it. She grabbed Chuck's hand and placed it on her stomach. "Do you feel it?"

Chuck didn't answer, a joyous smile lighting up his face being the only indication to Sarah that he had in fact felt it. Sarah's smile matched her husbands and her hands joined his, as the expecting parents experienced great happiness at feeling their child's movements.

Chuck began talking to the baby again, and Sarah figured that the baby liked his voice, because he kicked once more. She closed her eyes in bliss, a small smile on her face, the sound of Chuck talking to the baby filling her ears. She was happy that she was giving his to him, a baby, a family. This was something she always dreamed of, but never thought would have been possible before she met Chuck.

* * *

><p><strong>AN #2: I hope you guys enjoyed this story. I know in all the ones so far I've had Sarah pregnant, but they were headed down that direction before Quin, and since the show never got to show us how a pregnancy would have played out, I like to come up with my own possibilities.**

**I appreciate all review, even if it's as a guest. Feel free to tell me what you did or didn't like, your input is the only way I can get better. Alerts and favourites are also appreciated.**

**If you have any situations you would like to see in future instalments, you can let me know.**

**Thanks for reading.**

**Until next time -xoxo Barbadiangirl.**


	4. Nana

**A/N#1: Helllllooooo! I'm back!**

**So, remember in vs The Wedding Planner we saw Sarah's grandmother( or whom we assume to be), I decided to bring her back into this story and also delve a bit into Sarah's childhood. I think it's a novel concept, as I haven't read any stories which bring Sarah's grandparents into her current life or rather the life that the show seemed to be hinting at.**

**Huge thank you to charahkids for beta'ing this for me. I think before his help, this story was a diamond in the rough but because ck is so unbelievably awesome, he helped me to make it better.**

**I edited a bit after he sent me his changes, so all errors are mine.**

**Italics represent character thoughts.**

**Chapter 4~ Nana (10,821) words**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Sunday July 22nd 2018<span>**

"I'm sure Mom, I miss her so much, and I want her to see how happy I am. You know she always worried about me and how I would turn out."

Emma nodded. She understood Sarah's desire to see her grandmother, but she also knew that Nancy had a limited time left. Sarah had been devastated when her mother had died at four years old, and Emma didn't necessarily want her daughter to reconnect with Jack's mother, only for her to pass away soon after. That would break her daughter's heart. "Honey, I understand that, but I just want to caution you. Your grandmother has gotten old and she may not be with us for much longer."

Sarah sighed. "I know Mom. But I think it would be nice for her to meet the rest of my family. And besides, she deserves to have some family member"

"Ok. I'll call the retirement home and let them know we will be visiting tomorrow."

**/\**

Sarah sat on the couch, waiting for Chuck and CJ to return from their trip to the grocery store. She shifted her attention from the Sci-fi movie that was showing on the television and glanced at the clock. It was 8:30, so she hoped they would be back soon. She'd had a craving for Rocky Road ice cream earlier and Chuck had volunteered to get it for her. Upon hearing of his father's errand, CJ had also indicated his desire to tag along.

Her hands drifted to her belly, which was still flat. A smile formed on her face as she thought about her unborn child. While it was too early to find out the sex, Sarah was hoping for a girl. In about seven months her second child would be here, and she would make sure their childhood was far better than hers. Sarah began to think of her grandmother and slightly frowned. She didn't know how she would react to seeing her after all these didn't think she would be too happy in that home, especially if her father had placed her in the home against her will; but if he had one that, she would be sure to let him have it the next time he popped into Burbank. She was still unaware of why and how her Nana had ended up in the home, and her mother either didn't know or didn't want to divulge the information.

Sarah sighed. There was no sense in worrying; she'd just have to find out for herself. She heard the front door open and turned to see Chuck and CJ coming through.

"Hey baby." Chuck greeted her.

"Hi Mommy." CJ said, carrying a bag of his own.

"Hey guys. You're finally back. What took you so long?" She asked and stood up to assist Chuck with the bags.

Chuck shook his head. "I got it babe."

Sarah huffed, and followed them into the kitchen. She hated when Chuck treated her like an invalid. Sure she was pregnant and shouldn't lift heavy loads, but it was only grocery shopping.

"Oh, I ran into one of the parents from the PTA and was cornered into talking with her for a bit, and then CJ and I picked up a couple of things we were running low in so you wouldn't have to later in the week."

"That was very thoughtful of you.

Chuck placed the groceries on the counter and began putting them away and Sarah moved to help. It was then Sarah noticed CJ didn't put his bag with the others. "CJ, what's in your bag?" she asked, her eyebrow raised.

"Daddy bought me a new cereal."

"Come on, let me see." Sarah said and looked in the bag. Thankfully, this cereal didn't have in too much sugar. Sarah insisted that her children would eat healthy; she shuddered when she remembered the last time Morgan had babysat. She and Chuck had come home from their date to find CJ and Morgan running on a sugar high and it had been extremely difficult to get him to fall asleep.

"Mommy, can I -"

"May I." Chuck corrected.

"May I have some ice cream please?"

"Sure sweetie, but after that, it's time to brush your teeth and then go to bed." Sarah told him, before addressing her husband. "Chuck, would you like some too?"

Chuck, who had finished putting up the groceries, shook his head no. "No thanks babe. I've gotta go check on this program. But I'll fill the tub for his bath, and be back in about thirty minutes." he said and exited the room, leaving Sarah and CJ to enjoy their ice cream.

**/\**

When Chuck entered the master bedroom an hour later, he found Sarah on her side. Thinking she was asleep, he tiptoed into the room and nestled under the covers. He was a bit startled when he felt a hand on his back, so he turned to face her.

"I thought you were asleep."

"How's everything with CJ?"

"I got him into his pyjamas, brushed his teeth and then I told him a story. He fell asleep in the middle though. So, I was thinking that tomorrow, we could go to work for half-day and then you and I spend the time together before we pick up CJ from school? Hello? Earth to Sarah?" Chuck said. "Hey. What's wrong?"

"Hmm?"

"You're really quiet. Come on; tell me what's bothering you or what has you so preoccupied. And don't tell me it's nothing. I'm your husband; I have the ring to prove it. You tell me things you wouldn't tell other people."

Sarah sighed and wiggled a bit to find a more comfortable spot on the mattress. "It's my grandma."

"Huh?" Chuck questioned. He'd never heard her mention the woman. The moonlight was shining through the blue curtains, illuminating the room slightly, so even in the darkness, Sarah could see his eyebrows raise.

"I talked to my Mom today and she told me that my grandmother, I call her Nana, is in a retirement home. I'm gonna go see her tomorrow."

"Oh honey, that's great. I bet you're excited. Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, my Mom is coming. I'm just a bit unsure of what I'm gonna say to her."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I remember I had this elaborate speech planned for when I saw both my parents again, a whole lot of things I wanted to get off my chest. But you know how that went." Chuck shrugged. "I'm sure when you see her; you'll know what to say." Chuck tried to pacify her.

Sarah huffed, still not convinced, but she was appreciative of Chuck's efforts nonetheless. "Thanks for trying to make me feel better."

"No problem." Chuck said then beckoned her into his arms. Sarah accepted and soon they were in their favourite sleeping position- him on his back, with her resting her head on his chest. Chuck wrapped his larger feet around Sarah's dainty ones, warming them up, as he usually did each night. Ten minutes later, Sarah fell asleep to the rhythmic sound of Chuck's heartbeat, comfortable and safe in his embrace.

* * *

><p><strong><span>~0\~**

**Monday, July 23rd 2018**

Sarah had no idea what to expect when she visited her Nana. When her mother took the key out of ignition, she cautiously looked around to assess the surroundings. She saw a few of the elderly getting ready to play a game of golf at the miniature golf course, others were doing some gardening. The roses especially caught Sarah's eyes; they were so beautiful, perfectly pruned. Her grandmother loved roses, and she wondered if she had played a part in their upkeep.

Sarah felt a warm, comforting hand over hers and turned to see her mother, looking at her. "You Ok?" She asked with concern.

"Yea, yea." Sarah said while nodding her head to convey the affirmative. "I'm fine."

"You know what fine means don't you?"

"Freaking out, insecure, neurotic and emotionally exhausted. I know, I use that same line on Chuck sometimes." Sarah said a chuckled. "I'm just a little anxious that's all." Sarah continued and smiled, hoping that it would mask the nervousness she felt.

Stepping out of the car, Sarah also noticed that there were a number of benches and picnic tables scattered across the premises and a duck pond a little further in the distance.

_It looks nice. But then again, one couldn't go by looks alone._ She'd been researching about relatives visiting their loved ones and found some guidelines of what to say and do and what to avoid. But in doing so, she'd also come across some stories about the unpleasant experiences some people had had at retirement homes, abuse of the elderly being one of the main issues identified. So then she researched this place, and it seemed like a fine establishment. They made their way up the steps of the building and entered the lobby.

"Welcome to Easy Living Retirement Home. How may I help you?" the receptionist said.

"Good afternoon. We are here to see Nancy White. I'm Emma Scott; I had called earlier to inform you of our visit."

Oh yes, I remember. You will both need to write your names in the visitor book before going any further." the receptionist told them.

* * *

><p>Inside Room 11, Nancy stood in the middle, looking around the spacious room. There wasn't much she had brought from her home; most of it had been given to charity. She looked around at the framed photographs on her dresser and some which hung on the walls. Among them were those of her two children, her late husband and the one especially that she held close to her heart was with her and her granddaughter Samaria. She sighed as she sat in her rocking chair, one of her keepsakes from her old home.<p>

Nancy sighed and sat down in her rocking chair, intending to do a bit of reading. About ten minutes had passed when she heard a knock on the door. The woman in the chair looked up from her book, expecting it to be one of her friends; she said "I told you guys already; I'll join you for Bingo after I finish this magazine."

Upon not hearing a reply, she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and turned to the door. Confusion became apparent on her face as she stared at the two women who had entered the room. One of them was about five foot nine, with blond hair and sapphire blue eyes. _She's beautiful Nancy thought._ With her blue-and-black patterned top and black pants, and black heels, she was the picture of poise. However, her posture and bewildered look on her face conveyed that she was feeling anything but fine. The other woman was a bit shorter, and she wore a smile on her face. Her copper hair was shoulder length and she too was well dressed looked chic and ladylike in a navy blazer and shell, tucked in to her white pants.

"Hello Nancy, it's been a long time." One of them said. She remembered that voice, she remembered that face, sure, the hair was a bit shorter than when she last saw her, but the person was the same.

"Emma?" She asked to be certain, a smile spreading across her face.

Emma stepped closer, "Yes it's me, and it's so great to see you."

Nancy rose from her chair and enveloped Emma in a hug, closing her eyes. Upon opening them, she focused on the other person, who remained glued to her spot by the door, watching the exchange with interest.

She stepped out of the embrace and looked at the person again. There was something so familiar about her. The blond hair, those bright blue eyes which seemed to convey her emotions and the slight shifting of her weight as thought she was nervous- it was the exact same thing her granddaughter did. Her granddaughter? She hadn't seen her in years and yet, this woman looked like an older, more mature version of her. Wait, Emma was here, so was this her granddaughter?

"Samaria ?" She asked unsure.

Sarah smiled and so did her grandmother. "Yes Nana, it's me." She said softly.

"I can't believe you're actually here." She noticed Sarah had yet to advance into the room and called out, "Are you just gonna stand there or will you come give your old grandmother a hug?"

Sarah didn't need to be told twice, and quickly met her grandmother halfway, enveloping her in a hug. She held on to her tightly, though mindful of her tiny frame. Sarah closed her eyes as she got lost in the hug. She smelt just the same, there was the faint hint of roses, indicating she had been in the rose garden mixed with her favourite perfume that Sarah remembered from her childhood. Sarah took it all in. Due to age, her hair had full turned grey, and there were wrinkles in her face, but she was just as Sarah remembered. She was soft, and warm, she was the same Nana.

Finally releasing each other, they stared deep into each other's eyes, attempting to familiarise themselves. Her grandmother raised her hand to stroke Sarah's face, and Sarah leant into her touch.

"Samara, it's so good to see you, I can't believe your here." Nancy breathed. "My precious Samara." She added as she placed a wayward curl behind Sarah's ear.

Sarah slightly cringed at the mention of her birth name, and her grandmother noticed. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Sarah and Emma sat on the couch, while Nancy reclaimed her seat in the rocking chair.

"Um, a lot has changed since you last saw me." Sarah said. Nancy nodded in understanding, encouraging Sarah to continue. "My name isn't Samaria anymore; I don't know who she is. I haven't known her for a long time. That girl died a long, long time ago." Sarah noticed the flash of pain that crossed her grandmother's face and took a deep breath before continuing, and Emma gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "You know how Dad was, what he did. Every time we moved to a new town, I became a different person."

"You know I never did forgive your father for taking you with him." Nancy said solemnly.

_Nor myself for not trying harder to get you back._

"I left him with you for two weeks so I could go visit your aunt since she had a new-born and when I returned, you were both gone. " Nancy said quite furiously.

Emma slightly gasped. The only reason she had felt comfortable leaving Sarah with her father was because she would be living with her grandmother, and Emma knew she wouldn't have let harm come to Sarah and she would have looked out for Sarah's best interests, even if Jack didn't.

**/\**

**McCall, Idaho**

**Sunday, June 28th 1988**

Nancy thanked the taxi driver and exited the car. She had enjoyed her trip to Canada immensely as she got time to bond with her two grandchildren but she was happy to finally be home, and was anxious to see her only granddaughter. She was a bit puzzled to see that Samaria hadn't left her bike laying on the front lawn nor any of her other toys as she often did. Maybe Jack finally got he to be tidier she mused. She walked up the pathway, wheeling her suitcase behind her.

When she got in the house, she placed her handbag on the couch but was surprised that her home was empty, and as clean as she remembered leaving it.

"Jack? Samaria?" She called out, only to be met by silence.

She searched all three bedrooms, starting with Samaria's and finishing with hers, but still found no one. Growing concerned, she looked around the house for any indication as to where they could have gone. _Maybe they went for ice cream..._When she entered the kitchen; she was surprised to see a note attached to the fridge with a magnet. With slight trepidation, she took it off and began to read:

Dear Mom,  
>I'm sorry that I have to write this letter as our way of saying goodbye. <em>Our? Goodbye? Nancy thought. Oh Jack! You didn't. <em>I have decided to leave town and Samaria is going with me. I know that you will be angry, but please, try to understand. I'm sorry, but had I done this in person, you wouldn't have let me take her, you'd probably call Emma. I promise you that I'll take good care of her, so try not to worry too much. Samaria and I both love you. Hopefully you'll see us soon.  
>PS: Samaria left you a birthday card on your dresser.<br>Once again I'm sorry. We love and will miss you.  
>~ Jack<p>

Nancy looked at the letter in her hands, experiencing a myriad of emotions, disbelief, sadness, hurt, and anger. _What the hell was Jack thinking? Two weeks have passed since I left, they could be anywhere. I should've never left her with him. Give him an inch, he takes a mile. Ok, Nancy, calm down.'_

She turned on the tap and filled a glass with water. She could already feel a headache coming on. Nancy took two sips of the water and sat down on the couch. Sighing, she placed the glass on the centre table and massaged her temples. _They're gone….What can I do? Call the police? Emma? Would they be of much or any help? _The ringing of her telephone pulled her out of her musings.

"Hello." She said, praying that it would be Jack. She was met by static and was about to put down when a voice came through.

"Mom?"

"Jack Milek Devereux! What in the world are you thinking? Are you out of your mind?" Nancy nearly screamed into the receiver.

On the other side, Jack winced. "Mom, Mom, calm down. You know what the doctor said. You've gotta watch your blood pressure. It's not good for you to be stressed." He advised.

Nancy laughed sarcastically. "If you were concerned about my health, you wouldn't have taken off with my granddaughter." Nancy spat. "Where is Samaria? How is she doing?"

"She's fine Mom; she's asleep right now." Jack said. "And I'm fine too, thanks for asking."

Nancy ignored his last remark. "Jack, you have to bring her back."

"I can't do that. I've already got a plan in action and I need her help."

Nancy was furious. "Jack, are you hearing yourself? You're putting your daughter in danger for your financial gain. She doesn't deserve that Jack. You have to put her best interests first and her needs ahead of yours."

"Mom, she wanted to come with me. She thinks it's an adventure."

"She's a child Jack. A ten-year old child, of course she thinks it's an adventure! She doesn't fully understand what's going on." Nancy said, trying to make him see reason. "And just because she wanted to come with you, doesn't mean you should have given in. You're the adult, you have to put your foot down sometimes, and she can't always get what she wants. What you're doing; involving her in your cons, it's not an adventure, it's dangerous and it was stupid of you." Nancy said.

"Mom I-" Jack attempted to speak.

"I wasn't finished." Nancy cut him off. "You know Emma left her with me, because she thought I would make sure Sarah grew up in a loving home, and away from your cons." She sensed that he was about to cut in again and continued on, "I'm not saying that you don't love her, I know you do. And that's why I need you to listen to me. Samaria, she deserves better Jack. Think about her, she needs a proper home, not to be hopping from one seedy motel to another. And what about school? Have you thought about that? How's she gonna get a proper education or meet friends if you're constantly dragging her from city to city so you can continue conning people? Jack, bring her home. Please." Nancy pleaded.

"Mom, I know what I'm doing. Listen, I've got to go. I promise I'll have Samaria call you soon, once we get settled in. I love you. I'm sorry." He said and hung up.

"Jack, you're making a mis-" Nancy said, only to be met by dial tone on the other line.

She slammed the phone on the receiver, her anger now boiling over. Jack was so stubborn and that irritated her. Once he made up his mind, nothing could change it; and that stubbornness often left them at loggerheads with each other. The stubbornness he had probably inherited from her, after all, she had left Poland and immigrated to Australia and subsequently the US when she was twenty years old, though her parents had pleaded with her not to go.

Since that call, Jack had called at least once a month and had let Samaria talked. That pattern lasted for about six months. After that, phone calls became more infrequent, reduced to Mother's Day, her birthday and other major holidays. That trend only lasted for a year, until finally, the calls stopped entirely.

**/\**

"I always feared that something would happen to you while you were with him and I'd never find out." Nancy said sadly.

"I knew you would've been angry, but adventures with Daddy always seemed so exciting." Sarah said. "And at the time, I honestly thought we would have visited you sometimes."

"But you were in danger." Nancy countered.

"Once you know all the cons, you can never be a sucker. You have to admit, Dad was good." Sarah said her father's favourite line. "And yes, sometimes I was, and as I got older, the danger became more real. Most times we got away with a clean break."

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Nancy asked.

Sarah shifted in her seat, and glanced at her mother. Emma already knew most about her conning days with her father, but Sarah was unsure of how much to tell her grandmother.

"We had a couple of incidents with law enforcement. One time Dad was shot by an officer as we were escaping town. Another time, our lives were threatened after he conned some guy that had connections to a terrorist group. And when I was around fifteen, the police were on our trail. I honestly thought it would be the end for us. Dad needed some extra help, so he um, brought in one of his associates on the con we were working on. Anyway, the cops got ahold of him, and since he had a long list of priors and was wanted in ten states, he was looking at a long sentence. He cracked under interrogation, and gave up information on us, so he would get his time reduced. In the end, Dad and I had to abandon the job and hid out an abandoned mental hospital for about four days."

"I can't believe Jack was so stupid to put you in such great danger." Nancy said, conveying the sentiments of Emma as well.

"It's all in the past now." Sarah said attempting to steer away the conversation away from the past. "Anyway, Sarah Bartowski is who I am now, it's who I have been for a while now and I love it."

"So, you changed your name legally?"

"Um, yea, my senior year in high school, Dad was arrested and I was offered a proposition by the government, and from then, I became Sarah."

Nancy's eyebrows rose at the mention of the government. "The government? Samara, Sarah sorry, I hope you're not involved in any danger." She said in her worried motherly tone.

Sarah contemplated whether she should lie to her grandmother; she always could tell when she was. She decided to go with the truth. "Sometimes I am." She started and held up her hand when she saw her grandmother was beginning to object, "But don't worry, I'm part of a very good team, we watch each other's backs."

"That doesn't make me feel much better, but OK. You look as though you can handle yourself pretty well." she said. Silence perpetuated the room until Nancy said thoughtfully, "So Sarah? Hmmm, that's a pretty name. It means 'princess' in Hebrew, so it's quite fitting." She said with a smile.

* * *

><p><strong><span>~o/~**

"Nana," Sarah began, saying that word now, having not done so for a little over twenty years, felt a little weird to Sarah, "How did you end up here?"

"Well, where do I begin?" Nancy said as she stared through the window, seemingly caught up in the memory. "Your Aunt Karen and your father decided it would be best if I was placed in a home where I would be supervised and could have help if I needed it."

Sarah's eyebrows raised in confusion. "My Aunt Karen?" She asked for clarification.

"That's your father's younger sister." Emma said, "You wouldn't remember her, she only saw you when you were first born."

"Ah yes, that's a day I remember quite clearly. You gave your mother hell in that delivery room. And your father! He passed out a couple of times, and I think Emma here deformed his left hand from gripping it so tight." Nancy laughed, "And you were so beautiful, I could tell you would be stunning when you grew up, and it turns out I was right." Nancy said and Sarah blushed." Oh, and I'll save my inquisition about your husband for later." Nancy said. Seeing the Surprise on both Emma's and Sarah's faces, she said, "What? You think I didn't notice that huge rock on your finger? And from the way you smiled when I mentioned him, he must be pretty good to you. Isn't he Emma?"

"Yes, he is. They have a very deep and unbreakable bond. I'm glad she found someone like him." Emma said with a smile.

"Ah, that's very good to hear. What's his name dear?"

"Chuck. Well I mean Charles, but everyone calls him Chuck."

"Charles, that's a strong name. Now I'm getting side tracked. I was telling you two how I ended up here."

"A while ago, I had been in an accident, nothing serious, but it fractured my hip. And Karen had moved to Canada, and has a family there. But she came down to stay with me for a couple of weeks, much to my chagrin. But they agreed that I shouldn't be alone in the house by myself, and I admit, it often got lonely, so at first, we considered getting home assistance, but I was against that. So we decided to research some retirement homes, the children asked around, and this one had really good reviews. The house was placed on the market, fully furnished. I sold it to a nice couple who planned on starting a family, and I became a resident here about five years ago. So here I am. I don't mind it much. I occasionally miss the house and the comforts that came with it, but here, they try to recreate as much as they could. It's really nice; we have access to the kitchen, under supervision of course." She added when she was Sarah looking quite alarmed. "Then there's the golf course, the gardens, speaking of which, did you see the rose garden?"

"We did actually," Emma said "and we stopped to admire them. They're quite lovely."

"Thank you." Nancy said, "My friend, Lilly and I planted them. She loves gardening almost as much as I do. Come to think of it, we are practically twins separated at birth. The nurses call us two peas in a pod. Oh I wish you could've met her, but her son came yesterday and took her to visit the grand kids." Nancy said with a hint of wistfulness.

"I'm sure we can meet her the next time we visit." Sarah said.

"Next time? You'd come back to see me?"

"I would love to, but if you don't want us to, then-"

Sarah's grandmothers grabbed her hands and took them in hers, "Are you kidding me? I'd love for you to visit me again, the both of you, and you should bring this Charles with you too. It's so great to see you, how happy you are.

"Dad never told me you were here." Sarah said with a hint of anger. "I can't believe he would keep this from me!"

"He calls every month, you know, just to check in. From the time I've been here, he's visited twice I think. And Karen, well, she calls too, but now that management invested in some computers, I use that to communicate with her. Skype I think it's called."

"But why wouldn't he have told me about you?" Sarah questioned.

"Sarah, you know how your father is, he probably thought he was protecting you in some way." Emma said as she remembered Jack's unique thinking

"Now, tell me about you. What's been going on in your lives for the past couple of years?"

"My story is probably a bit longer, so maybe you should go first Mom."

"Hmm, ok. After our divorce, I moved to Riverside, and after I completed my diploma in Early Childhood Development and Education, I began working at an elementary school, and I love it."

"You always did have a way with children, you could understand them and had tons of patience to deal with them." Nancy mused.

_And yet I couldn't get my own daughter to stay with me. _Emma thought forlornly. She shook her head slightly, banishing such thoughts from her mind. _It's all in the past now. "_It's really nice. I think I found my true calling. I have another daughter, her name is Molly and she's almost thirteen years old."

Nancy's eyes widened, "Oh Emma, you remarried?"

Emma shook her head, "No I didn't."

"Oh, I'm sorry; I'm a bit old fashioned. Please forgive me."

"It's ok, I understand."

"Regardless, I'm sure she's such a delight to have around."

"No arguments about that. About two years after Sarah and I reconnected, I moved to Burbank so we could be closer to the rest of the family. Molly was glad that we did, because that meant more gaming sessions with Chuck and Morgan; she's got them both wrapped around her fingers."

"Who's Morgan?"

"Ah, that's where I come in." Sarah said. "Morgan is Chuck's best friend, has been since they were six years old."

"Oh, I see, you seem to be surrounded by some wonderful and loyal people."

"Yea. I am." Sarah affirmed.

"So, tell me about Charles. How did you the two of you meet?"

Before Sarah could reply, a ringing cell phone pierced the room. It was Emma's and she excused herself and walked to the other side of the room. "Hello." She answered, and then listened intently to the person on the other line, "Ok, I understand. I'll be right there."

"Something wrong?" Nancy asked and Sarah watched her mother with concern.

"It's Molly," Emma began, while picking her handbag up from the dresser. Sarah was instantly worried. "She fell at football practice and hurt her arm. They're taking her to the hospital to make sure that everything is ok. I've got to head over there."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Sarah asked.

"Emma shook her head no. "It's probably just a sprain. I'll call you when I'm there. OK?"

"Yea, yea that's fine. Go be with Molly, I'll call Chuck and get him to pick me up."

"Ok, I have to get moving or I'll be stuck in traffic." Emma said before bending down and placing a kiss on Nancy's cheek. "Nancy, it was great to see you, hopefully it won't be the last."

"You too my dear, I hope all is well with the little one."

Emma gave them one last small wave, bid them goodbye and then was on her way.

* * *

><p><strong>~o/~**

After Emma left, Sarah and Nancy spent the time continuing to catch up with the events in their lives. Nancy wanted to know everything about how she and Chuck met, so Sarah told her, though slightly altering it to leave out the parts about the bomb. Sarah had then told her about the proposal and the wedding. To Nancy, this visit was such a blessing, as Sarah recounted the significant events in her life, Nancy watched as her eyes lit up when she talked about Chuck. She had always believed that the eyes were the window to the soul, and if Sarah's eyes were any inclination, she loved that man with her heart, body and soul. And he loved her just as intensely from what she had heard. And that was all a mother or grandmother for that matter could ask for. Sarah had promised to show her the wedding video during her next video and she was thrilled about that.

"Well, let me see a picture of this Charles, he seems to quite the gentleman. I need a face to attach to the name."

Sarah quickly fished out her phone. There were so many pictures of Chuck in her phone, finally settling on the album from their recent weekend getaway, she held the phone up to her grandmother's face.

"Ooohhh, you've got yourself quite the looker haven't you Sarah? He is very handsome."

Sarah blushed, "Yea, he is."

"And what about children? Or are you guys just enjoying married life for a while?"

Sarah immediately smiled, "Actually, we have a son, CJ. He's three years old, and -" Sarah paused, they hadn't began telling anyone yet about her pregnancy, but her grandmother was hanging onto her every word, waiting for her to complete the sentence. Surely Chuck would understand. "We've got another one on the way."

Nancy's widened in delight. "Oh Samara, Sarah I'm sorry, that's gonna take some getting used to." Nancy gushed "You've already got a little boy, and you're having another baby. This is so wonderful! You know, I think today is my happiest day since I've been here. My precious granddaughter pays me a visit and then I find out how wonderful her life is. This is just absolutely amazing. I'm afraid it's a bit too much excitement. I'm not sure what to do, should I ask you to tell me about your son and to see pictures or should I ask about the baby?"

"It's fine either way, but since my phone is already out, I might as well tell you about the ball of energy that's my son."

Flipping through the phone again, she showed Nancy the adorable pictures of CJ.

"Oh my, he's a carbon copy of his father. There's no mistaking that he's Chuck's son."

She began talking, "Yea, I know, he definitely got his looks from Chuck, and personality too. They're both adorable and a little shy sometimes. He recently started preschool, his tendencies are a bit on the nerdy side, and he obviously gets that from his father." Sarah laughed "Chuck and Morgan really influenced him, and he's really into but he also has an athletic side. Whenever Molly comes over, they usually end up playing football in the backyard."

"He sounds and looks absolutely precious." Nancy gushed. "I hope I get to meet him soon."

"I'm sure you will."

"So, tell me about the baby. How are you feeling? Any morning sickness?"

"Morning sickness, afternoon sickness, evening sickness and sometimes night sickness, there's plenty of that."

Nancy smiled sympathetically, she knew all too well about morning sickness, having suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum when she was pregnant with -. She hadn't been able to keep anything down, and had to be hospitalized after she suffered from severe malnutrition. "How far along are you?'

"Ten weeks."

"Oh, that means there's not much movements I can feel. But would you mind if I touched your belly?"

"Of course Nana."

Sarah had maintained her fitness through her first pregnancy and afterwards, so her stomach was still relatively flat. Nancy placed her right hand over Sarah's stomach and sighed contentedly, this moment, just being with her granddaughter was never something she believed would have been possible.

After about two minutes, Nancy removed her hands and clasped them in her lap and appraised Sarah thoughtfully. "I know I might have said it before, but you are stunning, and you've got that pregnancy glow. I have no doubt that you are and will continue to be a fantastic mother."

"Thank you. I was a bit scared when we found out I was pregnant with CJ. I mean Chuck and I had decided we were ready to start a family, but when the test actually read positive and then we had the doctor's appointment and heard his heartbeat, suddenly everything became so real. We were having a baby." Sarah said as she remembered how absolutely terrified she was when she thought about all the responsibilities of being a mother, and considering her background, her childhood not having been ideal as she had a con man for a father, and her life as a CIA operative, she had long lost her innocence and had a lot of blood on her hands. How could those same hands be expected to hold a tiny baby in them in a short couple of months. A baby who would depend on her for love, protection, a home...but then she had corrected herself. She wasn't alone. She had Chuck, her mother, Mary, and the rest of her family and she had no doubt that they would provide her with a strong support system. And she hadn't been proven wrong, when everyone found out she pregnant, they were overjoyed for her and Chuck, and helped out in whatever way they could.

"But then, I remembered that I wasn't alone, and everything turned out ok." Sarah finished.

"Motherhood can be a very daunting task, especially when you're in it alone. And I should know. When your grandfather died, had it not been for his parents I don't know how I would have managed taking care of him and a young baby. But I've got something I want to show you." said Nancy as she got up from her chair and disappeared into one of the two adjoining rooms.

Sarah sat on the couch, waiting for her grandmother to return to the room. Nancy made her way to the couch, with a big box in her hands.

"I found it." She declared triumphantly.

Sarah eyed the box, her curiosity piqued. "Found what? What's in the box?"

Nancy smiled, and set the box on the table in front of her before sitting next to Sarah.

"This my darling Samara, Sarah sorry, is something very dear to me." She removed the lid and pulled out a large book. "It's our family's photo album." Nancy then flipped through the pages, naming the faces and telling Sarah when the pictures were taken, and if she remembered where. "Ah and here's your mom and dad's wedding." Nancy said while pointing to a slightly worn photo which showed her father, looking young and jubilant, his brunette hair slicked back and nicely filling out his penguin black suit. His hands were wrapped lovingly around Emma who had her hair in an up top bun. The veil covered her face, but you could still see the radiant smile beneath and she looked beautiful in her long-sleeved lace white wedding dress.

Sarah traced the outline of their face. It was a bit hard to believe that this was her parents, she didn't remember much from her childhood, but she did have a few memories of them fighting late at night when they thought she was asleep, oblivious from the turmoil brewing between them. "They look so happy."

"They were, and even more so when you came along." Nancy said.

Sarah was amazed by how many pictures her grandmother had of her. There were some from each of her birthdays, every holiday - Christmas, Thanksgiving, fourth of July, Easter, she found the one from her fist Easter was adorable as they had dressed her up as a bunny, when she lost her front teeth, her dance recitals, her riding or attempting to ride her bike as Jack stood next to her, bracing it, her first day of school, pictures of the family visit to the zoo, the circus, so many memories Sarah thought.

"I can't believe you kept all of this Nana."

Nancy laughed. "Are you kidding me? You were the apple of my eye, I wanted to capture every moment. And they became even more important to me when you left with your father. They were all I had. I thought I would have had more pictures, like your first day of high school, first date, prom, homecoming, but..." She trailed off sadly.

Sarah understood, her mother and grandmother had missed out on a lot, and Sarah had no doubt that had she stayed with either of them, her life would have turned out much more differently. But still, had she not been with her father, she may have never been recruited by the CIA and sent to Burbank to investigate a wonderful curly haired nerd. Maybe she wouldn't have met Chuck.

"I know Nana, and I'm sorry you missed out. But we shouldn't dwell on the past; you're back in my life now. And we should make the most of it. You don't have to miss out on any more important things in my life. You can be a part of my life, of CJ's life and this baby."

"Yes, it's best to look on the bright side. I got to reconnect with you."

They heard a knock on the door, and both turned their heads to it. "Come in." Nancy said.

A nurse entered, carrying a tray. "Sorry to interrupt your visit." She smiled apologetically, "But it's time for your medication Nancy."

Nancy took the two pills and downed them with water, then gave the glass back to the nurse. "Thank you my dear."

"You're welcome." She told Nancy, and then she turned to Sarah "Can I offer you anything?"

"No thank you, I'm fine."

"Ok then, enjoy the rest of your visit." the nurse said and then left.

"I think we've spent enough time cooped up in my room. I think it would be nice to take a walk in the gardens, and maybe I can introduce you to some of my friends." Nancy said.

"Ok, that sounds like a great idea."

**/\**

Sarah found that he grandmother was friends with practically everyone in the retirement home. Her friends complimented her on having such a beautiful granddaughter and then convinced the two of them to join them in a game of Bingo.

"So, do you guys spend a lot of time playing Bingo?" Sarah asked Nancy as they were walking through the garden.

"It's a regular past time, yes. But management likes us to have fun and try different things, so they often bring in different workshops. For example, we have cooking classes sometimes, Zumba, for the 4th of July, we make flags out of old magazines; it all varies.

"Oh that's nice." Sarah said, happy that this home actually provided quality care for the residents.

"You know, you've been here for quite a while, visiting hours are probably almost up."

Sarah stopped walking looked at her watch; it was almost half past five. "Oh my goodness. You're right. I need to call Chuck and get him to pick me up, and also find out about Molly." Sarah said. "But before I do that, I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"I read that sometimes the relatives can sign out the residents for a couple of days, once management approves. So, I was wondering, would you like to spend next weekend with my family in Burbank?"

"Absolutely. I feel like I haven't been anywhere except for church in a long time. I'd love to pay you a visit."

* * *

><p><strong><span>~o\~**

**Saturday, 4th August**

After pulling into the drive way, Sarah turned to her grandmother. "You ready?"

"You betcha." She said and gave a smile.

Nancy seemed to be in her own little world as soon as Sarah unlocked the red front door, and a huge smile was plastered across her face. She stood mesmerized by the many photos that lined the walls of the house, each capturing a happy moment in the occupants of the house's lives. The house was so warm and inviting, you could practically feel the love envelop you.

Chuck came down the stairs, dressed in a Star Wars t-shirt, jeans and his converse, CJ in tow wearing almost the same outfit, but instead he wore a plain red T-shirt.

"Hey honey, you're back." Chuck greeted her and leaned in for a quick peck on the lips.

"Mommy! I missed you. I woke up and you were gone." CJ pouted.

"Oh baby, I missed you too." Sarah said then bent down to pick up CJ. Resting him on her hip, she ruffled his curls and gave him a kiss on his forehead "But Mommy had to do something very important today, that's why she wasn't here when you woke up."

Nancy watched the family interacting with great delight. CJ had inherited his father's appetite and was quite heavy for his age, so Sarah soon had to put him down.

Oh, introductions Sarah reminded herself. Upon realising that there was someone else in the room, and that she was looking at him, CJ retreated behind the safety of his father's lanky frame.

"Nana, this is my husband Chuck and the little guy hiding behind his leg is CJ."

"It's very nice to meet you Nancy." Chuck said and offered her his hand to shake.

"Likewise, Sarah's told me so much about you. But if you don't mind, I'm more of a huger, not a handshake type of person." She said and pulled Chuck in for a hug. When they released each other, she looked at Chuck again "I must say that you are even more gorgeous in person."

Chuck blushed and then turned his attention to CJ when he felt him tug at his pants leg. "Hey buddy, aren't you gonna say hi to your Nana?"

"CJ, this is my grandma, so that makes her your great grandmother." Sarah told him when she noted his hesitance.

CJ looked at both his parents, who smiled at him encouragingly. "Hello." He said timidly.

"Oh my, you remind me so much of Sarah when she was younger, she was always so shy when talking to strangers. Hi CJ, I'm your Nana, and I'm very happy to meet you. Your mom told me that you like to draw, would you mind drawing something for me?"

At the mention of the word draw, CJ's eyes lit up, and he nodded in response. His shyness evaporated, and he took Nancy's hand, leading her into the study, where he had left his crayons and paper.

"I'll take her bag upstairs and you can show her to her room when she's finished. Ok?" Chuck asked.

"Uh huh. Sounds good to me."

When Chuck came back downstairs, he found Sarah in the kitchen preparing some sandwiches. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She immediately relaxed into his embrace. "Hey baby."

"Hi" she said then turned in his arms so she was facing him. Chucks eyes darted from her eyes to her lips, before he finally captured her lips in a kiss. It started out as a peck, but eventually turned into a sensual kiss. Soon enough, Sarah felt herself being lifted up by Chuck. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and moaned when she felt his teeth gently graze her bottom lip. "Mhhm Chuck." She said when he placed her on the counter. His hand played with the hem of her top, before finally slipping under. The warm sensation on her stomach, combined with the way Chuck was kissing her, caused a fire to ignite in Sarah. She ran her hands through Chuck's hair, pulling him closer to her. When chucks hand cupped her breasts, and his mouth moved to the crook of her neck, she threw her head back in ecstasy. They had to stop before things got too carried away. Her hands were already under his shirt, her fingernails scraping into Chuck's back, which caused him to growl. "Chuck, we..." _Good God, the things this man does to me! _"Chuuucccckkkk...we...have to mhhhmmm..." _What was I saying again?_ She started again "Chuck, we have to stop, CJ and my Nana are only a few feet away." She said.

Her message finally went through, and Chuck removed his hands from under her shirt, stepped back and then looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry... You're just so damn irresistible." Chuck said. _You're not so bad yourself Sarah thought._ "I guess we got a bit carried away."

"Yea" she agreed and hopped from the counter. "Maybe we can finish tonight?" She asked with a wink.

"Oh, most definitely." Chuck said, "Now my lovely wife, do you need any help?"

"Yea, you can pour the drinks while I chop these tomatoes. It's nice outside today, so I was thinking we can have lunch on the back porch."

**~/o/~**

After lunch, the three adults had watched CJ playing on the swing set in the backyard, while they talked. During that time, Chuck and Nancy got to know each other a bit better. Nancy was quite impressed with Chuck's intelligence and hardworking nature when he told her about his company. From the way he talked, Nancy, who considered herself an excellent judge of character, could tell that not only was he committed to his thriving tech company, but more importantly, to his family.

"So, what are we doing for the rest of the day?" Nancy asked when there was a lull in the conversation. "Well, first, you have to take your medication." The nurses at the nursing home had stressed the importance of Nancy following her schedule and taking her blood pressure and blood sugar medication on time, and Sarah was not going to compromise her grandmother's health, so she was following their advice. "And then I was thinking I could take you shopping and to my favourite spa."

"That sounds absolutely divine." Nancy said, "But what about you Chuck? What are you and CJ gonna do while we're out?"

Chuck shrugged. "I think we'll just hold down the fort. It's actually soon time for his nap. While he's doing that, I'll probably finish the coding for another program Morgan and I have been working on. After that, it'll be snack time and then we will probably just watch a movie or I might take him to the park."

**~/o/~**

Sarah was very cautious not to tire her grandmother out, so they kept the walking to a minimum, sticking to stores that were near to the car park. After loading their shopping bags I to the car, Sarah took her grandmother to a jewellery store.

"Hey Bob." She greeted the sales clerk when she entered the empty store.

The greying man who was in his early sixties looked up from the piece of jewellery he was polishing, and turned to address his customer. "Mrs. Bartowski you're looking lovely as always and it's so nice to see you again." Bob, the owner of the store said, then he noticed Nancy who was inspecting the store. If I may ask, who is this delightful old lady with you?"

"Bob, this is my grandmother Nancy, and she's in town for a few days. Nana, this is my jeweller Bob." Sarah said completing the introductions.

They both exchanged pleasantries. Then Nancy tugged Sarah on her arm, looking at her questioningly. "Sarah, what are we doing here? Do you need your rings cleaned or something?"

"Uh no." Sarah said.

Nancy furrowed her brows, "Then what? Does someone have an anniversary or birthday coming up?"

Sarah shook her head no. "We're here for you actually."

"For me?" Nancy asked puzzled. "Sarah, I don't understand."

Sarah only smiled and turned to Bob. "Bob, can you please show us your selection of gold lockets please?"

"Certainly," he said and unlocked the glass display cabinet. Bob then slid across one of the glass panels and took out the rotating necklace holder stand and the pillow on which the lockets were laid and placed them both on the counter. "Here we are."

"They're all very beautiful." Nancy said admiring the lockets and the selection of chains. "But I still don't understand why we are looking at them."

"When I was younger, you had this gold locket that you loved. And one day I was playing with it and it broke and the jeweller said it couldn't be mended. I know this isn't the same one, but that day I promised myself that I'd get you a new one, even if I had to use all my money. And that day is today, so choose which ever one you like the most, and it's yours."

Nancy shook her head, "No, Sarah, I can't accept this. They must be so expensive, and you've got a baby on the way, you could put that money to better use."

Sarah smiled; she had been watching her grandmother closely as she looked at all the lockets, so she was able to pick up the one that had caught her fancy. "Don't worry about it. How about this one?" Sarah said as she took up one of the lockets from the pillow and threaded it on to a gold chain. Sarah then clasped the chain around Nancy's neck, the oval locket which had a blumed finish, a crossed fern design on top, small natural pearls and nine round faceted strongly pinkish-red rubies rested right above her breast. Sarah then held up the mirror for her to see "Do you like it?'

Nancy smiled at herself in the mirror, the locket really was beautiful, but no doubt it was expensive and there was no way she could allow Sarah to spend such a large sum of money.

"It's a bit pricey, as most antiques are. This one is approximately fifteen carat yellow gold Victorian era, circa 1880." Bob said.

"We'll take it Bob. My grandmother did always love antiques, and I think this one suits her perfectly."

"Sarah, no." Nancy protested.

"Nana, I told you, whichever one you liked, it's yours."

"Do you need it wrapped?" Bob asked.

"No, that won't be necessary. I was wondering though, if an inscription could be placed on the back."

"Of course, I could do that for you today, and I'd also put in the pictures if you'd like. Free of charge, since you're one of my best customers." Bob said sincerely.

"Thank you Bob. We have another stop to make before heading home. Do you think it would be finished in about three hours?"

"Yes, just write what you want the inscription to say, and I'll get right on it."

"Thank you Bob."

"You're welcome, and that you too for doing business with me."

"Ah, it's no problem Bob. I mean if anyone in this town knows about jewellery, it's gotta be you. With your parents being antique collectors, I have faith in you."

Nancy unclasped the chain and handed it to Bob, so he could get started on the inscription. "You're sure it's not too expensive? Cause I can do without it darling."

"Nana," Sarah started, "for the hundredth time, don't worry about how much it costs. Trust me, Chuck and I have more than enough to last us and the kids for this lifetime. I can afford to splurge on this."

"Ok, ok." Nancy said. "Samara, Sarah, I can't thank you enough. This is so nice of you."

"It's no problem; I just want you to be happy." Sarah said and pulled her grandmother into a hug.

Sarah then wrote the cheque to Bob and then turned to her grandmother.

"Now come on, we've got an appointment at the spa."

**~/o/~**

"Wow, I've never felt so relaxed and pampered before." Nancy said as they excited the spa. Both ladies had gotten the complete package, inclusive of facials, body wraps, pedicures, manicures and full body massages.

"I'm glad you liked it then." Sarah said as they got into her car. "The inscription should be finished by now, so we can pick that up, then swing by my favourite Chinese restaurant before we go home."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

They arrived home thirty minutes later. After having dinner, Chuck gave CJ a bath, and got him dressed in his pyjamas. He then came downstairs to bid his mother and great grandmother who were watching the news good night.

"Good night baby."

"Good night my darling." Nancy said. "I think I'm gonna have a shower and turn in too. The excitement of today is finally catching up to me."

"OK. Good night Nana. I love you."

"Good night dear." Nancy said as she rose from the couch. "I love you too."

When Nancy got upstairs, she saw that CJ's bedroom door was ajar. Peeping in, she saw that Chuck was tucking him in. She knocked and entered the room. "Chuck, um do you mind if I got him to sleep?"

"Not at all." Chuck said and got off the bed. "Good night CJ. Love you."

"Love you too Daddy, good night."

When Chuck closed the door behind him, Nancy sat down next to CJ, who was looking at her expectantly. "What do your parents usually do to get you to sleep?"

"They read me a bedtime story Nana."

"Well, my eyes aren't as good as they used to be, and I left my reading glasses in my room, so how about I sing you a lullaby in Polish? I used to sing it to your Mommy when she was younger."

"Polish?" CJ asked confused. "What's polish Nana? Isn't that what my Uncle Casey puts on his boots? His boots are really big Nana." CJ continued to ramble. "My Daddy calls him a bear sometimes, and then Uncle Casey growls at Daddy." CJ said, giggling at the antics of his father and uncle. "

Nancy laughed at the child's initial confusion. "You know, you're pretty observant and smart for your age."

"Uh huh." He said and nodded. "I can count to twenty already, and I know my ABCs and a lotta nursery rhymes." CJ said proudly. "Mimi (Grandma Mary) says I'm just like my Daddy." CJ finished with a toothy smile.

"No sweetie, I don't mean shoe polish. Polish is another language dear. People from Poland or who were descendants of Polish parents speak it." Nancy said." You can learn it when you're a bit older."

"Oh." CJ said with understanding. "Will you teach it to me Nana?"

"In a couple of years, if you're still interested, I will." Nancy said, silently praying that she would be in good enough health to be able to teach her great-grandson her native language. "Now close your eyes." Nancy said and then began to sing the lullaby her mother had taught her, "Oj lulaj, lulaj. Siwe óczka stulaj. Oj, siwe ocie stulisz do mnie się przytulisz . Oj lulaj, lujaj. Maleńki sukole. Oj, jak ty mie urośniesz, pójdziesz ze mną w pole."

**~/o/~**

Sarah looked away from the TV when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs, when she saw Chuck, her eyebrows rose. "He's asleep already? That was fast." She commented.

"He's not actually; Nancy wanted to be the one to get him to sleep, so here I am."

"That was nice of her."

"Yea it was, so now, you have my undivided attention. I suggest that we turn off this TV, and retire to our room. I'm thinking a long shower, together of course, and maybe we will continue what we started earlier in the kitchen." Chuck said and gave her the Bartowski eyebrow dance.

Sarah laughed. "I think that's a fantastic idea. Come on." She said and pulled him up from the couch with her.

"What is that?" Chuck asked Sarah as they both stood outside of CJ's room, listening to Nancy sing.

"It's a polish lullaby. I remember she used to sing it to me when I had a hard time falling asleep. "

"Oh, ok. Now come on, I feel like we are invading their moment." Chuck said and tugged Sarah along.

* * *

><p>On Sunday, the entire gang was at the Bartowski home for dinner. Upon meeting Nancy, everyone had declared how nice it was to meet her. It had been a challenge to get Molly, CJ, his two cousins Clara and Oliver to stop playing so they could sit down for dinner and even a bigger challenge getting them to make little noise as their two month-old baby cousin, Morgan and Alex's baby girl Cassidy slept. After putting in a DVD for the children to watch in the play room, the adults were finally able to relax in the living room. Casey had to leave early, as he had promised his girlfriend Gertrude a date at the shooting range. Chuck still couldn't believe they were together, that was a match made in a frightening part of heaven. Now that Morgan and Alex were finally parents, everyone was interested in finding out how they were coping. Alex said it was more tiring than she expected, but it was worth it in the end and all the adults in the room nodded in agreement. The conversation then drifted to work, with Chuck informing them that he and Morgan were in the process of developing two new games and that they were close to securing a multimillion dollar contract. Ellie and Devon also had some news to share, as they had both been offered the head of Neurology and Cardiology at Westside Medical respectively. In the words of Captain Awesome, life for everyone was pretty awesome.<p>

Nancy and Emma slipped into the kitchen, intending to make some tea.

"She's so happy." Nancy said to Emma as they watched Sarah and the others in the living room playing charades.

"Yea. I know."

"I used to worry about her you know; with her father out conning people and her tagging along, I always worried that they would mess with the wrong people and both of them would end up in an abandoned alley somewhere, and I would never find out because they would be using an alias. And even though her father visited me a while back and told me Sarah no longer conned with him and that she was safe, I never did truly believe him. With her upbringing and his influence, I thought she might end up on the wrong side of the law. I guess I needed to see it for myself."

Emma nodded in understanding. "It's amazing, the transformation she's gone through. I used to worry that she'd never find true happiness, that she'd be jet-setting across the world, without ever getting to stop and smell the roses. But here we are now" Emma said as she watched Sarah interact with her family, "She's happiest when she's with Chuck. I only met him after they were married, but that same night, I could see how much they loved each other."

"Hey, you guys gonna spend the rest of the night cooped up in the kitchen?" Sarah asked as she entered the kitchen, looking for her jar of pickles.

"We were gonna re-join you guys soon." Nancy said.

Having found the jar in the top cupboard, Sarah turned to face them.

Emma noticed the pickles and asked "Craving?"

"Yup." She opened the jar and took out one and began nibbling on it, then remembering her manners, offered the two ladies. When they both declined, Sarah asked "What were you two talking about?"

"We were talking about you actually." said Nancy.

"Me, what about me?" Sarah asked surprised.

Both women smiled, before Emma answered, "We were just observing how happy you are."

Sarah looked into the living room, where her family was. The laughter from them all melded into a melodic tune which cocooned the house into love and warmth. There was a point in time when she worried that she didn't have any friends, but now, she had something oh so much better. No one in the world was closer than them, and now her grandmother had been welcomed with open arms into the fold. "Yes I am. I'm happier than I ever thought would be possible." She said as she locked eyes with Chuck and sent him a dazzling smile. "I'm living the life I only dreamed of."

* * *

><p><strong>AN #2: Thanks so much for reading. I would greatly appreciate it if you guys leave a review, (even if it's as a guest). I have a couple of ideas for future one-shots, but if there is a scenario in particular that you would like to see, PM me about it or leave it in your review. And yes, in case you were wondering, I added in the part about Nancy emigrating from Poland because that's what Yvonne's parents did.**

**I don't speak Polish, I found the lullaby online. I only used two of the four stanzas in my story and they translate to: _'Go to sleep, go to sleep. Close your blue eyes. If you close your blue eyes, you'll cuddle up to me. Go to sleep, go to sleep. You little falcon. When you grow, we'll go to the field.'_**

**Until next time,**

**~Bg.**


	5. Full House (Part1)

**A/N#1: Hello everybody. Hope y'all are doing fine. When I wrote this one-shot, it quickly passed the 15,000+ word length and charahkids suggested that I split it, so that's what I'm going to do. Huge thanks to him for beta'ing for me and being so awesome. :)**

**Also, one guest reviewer said they were confused about the timeline. I apologize for that. There is no particular connection between any of the one shots, nor will there be unless I specifically mention it in an author's note. So, just see the stories on their own.**

**And to those of you who went to ComicCon and got to see some of the Chuck cast (Zach especially) how I envy you.**

**Once again, thanks for the continued support. Seems you guys really liked the last chapter, and Nancy's portrayal. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. Oh, and let's see if we can get to 100 reviews by this chapter. OK? :D**

**I don't own CHUCK.**

**Chpt 5: Full House (Part1): 6714 words.**

* * *

><p><strong><em>"Did it change anything? Having a kid? Did your priorities change? I'm a spy. I can't even process the idea..."<em>**

* * *

><p><span><strong>~0/~**

**Friday, March 6****th**** 2026**

She didn't flinch as the sharp needle pierced her skin. Honestly, she was too caught up with the list of things she needed to do today. Even though it was Friday, things at work were still going at their usual upbeat pace and she had a meeting scheduled for later in the day. Then she had to collect her two daughters, Emily and Shamia from school and take them to dance class after she was finished at the office. Chuck would have to pick up their eldest child, CJ and the youngest, the twins, Levi and Lisa from school.

The nurse was speaking to her, but that was only background noise to Sarah. _I should be p_aying attention…

"Pardon me?" Sarah said.

"I said you're one of the few adults I've taken a blood sample from who haven't passed out, gotten squeamish or winced at all."

"You should meet my husband then, he does all of those." Sarah laughed.

The nurse, Charmaine as her name tag said laughed, before rubbing some alcohol around the spot. "I'll bring you some juice. It's advised that you don't move for at least ten minutes. So feel free to lie on the examining table for a while."

"Ok." Sarah said. "Do you know how soon the results from the tests will be back?" Sarah asked. She was anxious to find out what was wrong with her. She'd already given the nurse her symptoms which had plagued her for the past three weeks. There had been a few dizzy spells, she had been feeling nauseous for the past four days, and lately, she was feeling more tired than usual.

"The doctor is going rush the results, so they should be back in about two hours."

Sarah nodded, and thanked the nurse, before she left the room to bring back Sarah's juice. As she lay on the examining table, Sarah closed her eyes and quickly said a prayer, hoping that her blood work would be fine. Chuck had noticed her symptoms, and had insisted on her seeing a doctor, even though she protested that she was fine. However, she relented as they agreed it was best for her if they found out what was wrong in the early. Ellie had warned them that a nasty stomach flu was going around, so Sarah hoped that if that was the case, the doctor would give her some antibiotics, order some rest and she'd be fine. Of course, having five children under the age of fifteen didn't make rest so easy to come by. She just hoped it wasn't anything too serious.

**/\**

Sarah decided to grab some lunch for her and Chuck before heading back to Carmichael Industries.

"Hey Chuck." Sarah said when she entered his office. He looked up from the computer which he had been typing furiously on.

"Hey babe." Chuck said and greeted her with a kiss.

"I brought you lunch." Sarah said taking a seat opposite him and holding the takeout bags up.

"Great. Cause I am starving." Chuck said. "You always take such good care of me."

"And you me." Sarah said and handed him his lunch.

"Why do I only have about ten chips left?" asked Chuck as he looked in his bag.

"Sorry." Sarah said. "I got hungry on the way back and I may have snacked on a few."

"Well I hope you won't mind if I return the favour." Chuck said as he began eating his cheeseburger. "How did the doctor's visit go?"

"The nurse took a blood sample. She said the results should be back in at least two hours."

"Oh ok."

"But remember I'm gonna pick up the girls from school and take them to dance rehearsals."

"And I have to pick up CJ and the twins. I won't forget this time." Chuck assured her as he remembered the first time.

**/**

Flashback

**Friday, November 28****th**** 2025.**

She was supposed to pick up the twins and take them to Water Babies, while Chuck was supposed to collect the girls after Science Club which finished at four-thirty.

When Sarah got home with the twins, she was surprised the only noise was the soft hum of a Nina Simmone record floating through the house.

"Hey guys." Chuck greeted the twins first. "Did you have fun at swimming class?"

"Uh huh." Levi answered, and Lisa who tended to be quieter nodded.

"That's great." Chuck told them. He then turned his attention to his wife. "And hello to you too." He greeted, kissing her quickly.

"I was wondering when you'd get to me. I was beginning to feel neglected." Sarah pouted.

Chuck looked at the twins, who were busy removing their shoes and stepped closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, "I promise to make it up to you tonight." He whispered into her ear. His voice was low and husky, his breath warm on Sarah's ear and suddenly the room temperature increased. She felt a shiver of anticipation run through her body. Chuck stepped away from her, his eyes dancing with mischief as he took in Sarah's state. He then turned to the twins, helping them take off their shoes. Sarah meanwhile controlled herself, shaking her head slightly to get rid of the cobwebs.

"Levi, Lisa, go put your stuff in your room ok." Sarah said and watched as the twins climbed the stairs. She looked around the house and noticed that Chuck had been cleaning. CJ was spending the weekend at his best friend's Max's house so she expected the house to be quieter than usual, but Emily and Shamia were always involved in some boisterous activity.

"Um, Chuck? Where are the girls?"

Chuck looked at her with wide eyes. "The girls?" he asked confused. "You were supposed to collect them."

Sarah shook her head. "No Chuck...Remember I left work early so I would be able to get the twins from school and to swimming class on time." Sarah said.

"Oh my goodness Sarah." Chuck said and ran a hand over his face. He pulled his phone from his pocket and Sarah did the same.

"Four missed calls from Ellie and two from Devon." Chuck said.

"I've got one from each." Sarah said. "I didn't even here my phone ring. Levi must have accidentally put it on silent when they were watching Elmo on the way home."

Chuck sighed. "I'll call Ellie." He said going for the hand phone and began dialling. Sarah sat down with him as he made the call, anxious for news about their two girls. After confirming that Ellie had picked them up from school, after the girls couldn't get through to Chuck, they both were very relieved. Sarah then talked to Ellie for a bit before talking to each of their daughters and informing them that their father would be coming for them.

End flashback

**/**

"Gosh, forget your children once and no one lets you forget it." Chuck joked.

"I'm just glad the school called Ellie." Sarah said. "But I admit, it could've been worse. I remember reading this one article where a lady went to the store and forgot her baby was sleeping in a crib, and another guy forgot to collect his son from football practice and the boy was there in the rain.

"I'm sure the girls have forgiven you."

"Sure. That's why they wrote that note saying 'Don't forget about Emily and Shamia!' in red ink and posted it on the fridge."

Sarah laughed. Emily and Shamia sure did love taking Chuck on the guilt trip for his forgetfulness.

"Well I think I made up for it with those trips to the mall and the amusement park."

"What were you working on before I came in?" Sarah asked, changing the subject.

"Oh Beckman hired us for an outside job. There have been some recent attempts by someone or as I suspect some group to hack into the National Treasury's system. I was just making some notes." Chuck said. "But I really don't feel like talking about work right now."

"Really, what should we talk about then?"

"Do you want to go out with me?"

"Like on a date?" Sarah questioned.

"Uh huh. I'm thinking sometime next week."

"Chuck." Sarah sighed, "I'm not so sure. We will have to get either your mom or mine to watch the kids, or we will have to get a sitter, and you know how much hassle that can be sometimes."

"Come on Sarah, this time next week, you'll be busy helping out with a bake sale at one of the kids' school or some other fundraiser or attending a PTA meeting or a doing a business presentation, and you'll wish you would've spent one night alone with your husband.

Chuck rose from his chair and walked over to her. He began massaging his shoulders, and then bent his head to whisper in Sarah's ear. "Say yes Sarah."

Sarah slipped her eyes close, as Chuck's warm breath tickled her. "Ok." She accepted, her voice having a slight tremble to it.

"Great." Chuck said and stepped away from her. "I got magic coming your way baby."

Sarah laughed at his antics. "I'll be looking forward to it."

The rest of their lunch was filled with light banter. Afterward, they cleaned up and went their separate ways. Carmichael Industries while it focused on cyber-terrorism had been expanded to now encompass a technology division. He had a meeting with Morgan to discuss ideas for their upcoming game release, while Sarah had to go over some of the company's contracts with the legal team.

* * *

><p><strong><span>~0/~**

For the second time that day, Sarah found herself in the doctor's waiting room, anxiously tapping her fingers on her leg.

_Oh crap! I forgot about the rehearsals. Damn it!_ She checked her watch; it was already ten past three. The girls' rehearsal was at 3:45. She'd never make it through her appointment, pick them up from school and get them to their rehearsals in time. She searched her handbag for her phone and dialled Emma.

-"Hey Mom."-

-"Hi sweetie. How are you?"-

-"I'm fine. I need you to do me a favour please."-

-"Sure, anything."-

-"I'm still at the doctor's office, so"-

"You're still at the doctor?"- Emma interrupted, confused. -"You just said you were fine."-

-"Mom, really, it's nothing to worry about."- _Or at least I hope so_…. -"I'm waiting on my blood tests results. Anyway, I won't be able to pick the girls up from school and take them to dance rehearsals. I'd hate to put you out, but can you please take them?"-

-"Of course. I can be at their school in five minutes."-

-"Thanks you so much Mom. Tell them I'm sorry I couldn't make it, but I'll make it up to them."-

-"It's no problem dear. I do however expect a full report on this doctor's visit." -

-"Yes mom. "- Sarah said mockingly. -"I love you, and thanks."-

-"Love you too baby girl. Bye. "- Emma said and they both hung up.

**/\**

"Mrs. Bartowski." The assistant called out looking at the sole occupant in the room. "Dr. Blackett will see you now."

Sarah sighed and rose from her chair and made her way to the office. She took a deep breath before knocking on the door and entering. _Time to find out what's going on…_

"Sarah, it's so nice to see you again." The doctor greeted one of her oldest patients and held out her hand for a hand shake.

"Likewise Judy."

"I have the test results back." The doctor said.

Sarah mentally began preparing herself. "Ok, just tell me. What is it? Is it the stomach flu? Or is it something worse?"

"Sarah, Sarah." Her doctor said to stop her ramblings. "It's not the stomach flu."

Sarah exhaled then, glad it wasn't the case. Judy continued to gloss over her file. "It says here that you missed your period."

"Um, yea." Sarah said, and then a thought hit her. "Is it menopause? I mean, I'm only almost thirty-nine, but I've heard about early menopause." Sarah rambled. She had missed her period last month, but had attributed that to the hectic life she was currently living and the stress that came along with it.

The doctor shook her head again. "It's not menopause either."

Sarah sighed, relieved. _Ok. Ok. This is good._ From the calm countenance of her doctor, Sarah was beginning to get confident that it was not anything major. "Then what is it?"

"You're pregnant. Congratulations." The doctor said with a smile. She watched Sarah, waiting for her reaction to the news.

"Excuse me?" Sarah choked out. "Did you just say that I'm pregnant?" She asked with emphasis on the last word. The doctor nodded. Sarah began shaking her head no..."There's no way that I can be pregnant." Sarah said convincingly….. She had been pregnant four times before, surely she would've recognized the symptoms…'But you've been so busy, it was easy not to notice' a voice in her head told her….

"The blood work and your symptoms tell another story." Dr. Blackett said.

"Am I being Punk'd?" Sarah said loudly. "Seriously, is Ashton Kutcher ready to jump out from behind the curtains?"

During her time as a doctor and later an OB/GYN, Dr. Blackett had seen pretty much all of the reactions to a pregnancy. These ranged from ecstatic, yet scared and when it came to the unplanned pregnancies, which she found to be an occurrence with a lot of her teen patients, it was disbelief, sheer terror and sometimes resentment and anger. In those situations, it was her duty as a doctor to inform the expectant mothers of their options: abortion, depending on the stage of the pregnancy and adoption.

Looking at Sarah, she realised that she was in absolute disbelief…clearly this was an unexpected pregnancy. "Sarah, I can tell that this pregnancy is a surprise." _That's an understatement Sarah thought._ "And I hope you don't think I'm out of line when I say this, but I've seen you and your husband together when you came in for appointments during your other pregnancies, and I'm confident that this baby will be just as loved as its other siblings." the doctor tried to assure her patient of fifteen years.

"How far along am I?"

"The hormones in the blood sample indicate you're still in your first trimester. Around ten weeks."

Sarah nodded.

"You're my last patient for the day, so we can hear the heart beat today if you'd like."

"NO!" Sarah almost shouted. "I'd prefer for Chuck to be here when we conduct any examinations. He hates to miss such things." It was true. Chuck had seen to it that he was there for each of her doctor's appointments during pregnancy, and had loved seeing his children on the ultra sound screen. Sarah would never forget how special those moments were, the happiness, love, and hope that were contained in his eyes. She didn't want him to miss out on this one.

The doctor nodded in understanding. "That's no problem. You can talk to my secretary on your way out and set up an appointment at your earliest convenience." She said. "But before we do that, I want to talk to you about this pregnancy. Pregnancies which occur after the woman passes the age of thirty-five are what we in the medical arena refer to as high-risk pregnancies." She noticed the alarmed look on Sarah's face.

"I've heard about those. Often times, the mother's health and that of the baby's are put in jeopardy." Sarah said. Her hands instinctively touched her stomach. After five kids, her stomach wasn't the same. Not that she had expected it to revert to its rock hard state, especially after the twins. However, she had maintained her work out regime, so her body was still toned. Her eyes flickered to her toned stomach…her baby…Baby number six was in there…

"I'm not saying this to scare you or anything. But it is my duty to confer the dangers and risks associated with these sorts of pregnancies." The doctor said and proceeded to explain to Sarah. "I admit, that your body is in fantastic shape after your pregnancies and you are fit for your age, so I don't think we should have much if any at all problems. I advise you to take it light, avoid the stress, strenuous work outs, try to get lots of rest, maintain a healthy diet, stuff like that. In fact, the majority of my patients who have had these so called high risk pregnancies went on to have problem-free pregnancies and gave birth to healthy babies." The doctor said. "However, if I see need for concern as the pregnancy progresses, I will place you on bed rest." she warned.

Sarah nodded, taking the advice to heart. Nothing would happen to this baby, not if she could help it. "What about work?" Sarah asked.

"You should be ok for now, just be sure to take it easy. This pregnancy can be rough and might wreak havoc on your body. I'll write up a prescription for your pre-natal vitamins and then you can be on your way."

"Thank you." Sarah said, taking the prescription.

"Any time." The doctor said. "Oh and Sarah?" She called. Sarah turned from the door. "I had my son when I was forty-three. I know how terrifying and nerve-wrecking it can be. Remember I'm only a phone call away."

Sarah smiled at that, and then bid her doctor goodbye.

**/\**

Sarah sat in her car, replaying the news in her head. She was pregnant. She still didn't believe it. She took out her phone and dialled Chuck.

-"Hey Chuck, where are you?"-

-"Hey Sarah. I'm at CJ's school."-

Sarah looked at the clock on the dashboard. It was already past four. He should've been home by now with the kids. Her mind began to go in overdrive and her eyes enlarged in panic. -"Why are you still there Chuck? Is something wrong with CJ? And where are the twins?"- She shot the questions of in quick succession not allowing Chuck to get a word in.

-"Sarah! Honey calm down. I was called in by the school's deputy principal earlier at work. CJ and a couple other boys were found tagging the walls."- Chuck explained.

-"He did what!?"- Sarah screeched._ He knew better._

-"Yea! I couldn't believe it either. I'm trying to wrap up things here."- Chuck sighed and Sarah could hear the tiredness in his voice. -"I asked Morgan to collect the twins for me, so you can pick them up from their house."-

-"Ok. But tell CJ we will deal with him later tonight."-

-"Did the blood tests come back? What did the doctor say?"-

Sarah hesitated before answering, -"Everything is fine_."- Well it wasn't a complete lie! And I'm certainly not going to tell him about the baby over a phone call_. -"She gave me some vitamins, but we can talk later tonight. Love you, bye."-

-"Ok. Bye, love you too."- Chuck said and hung up.

* * *

><p><strong><span>~0/~**

Sarah knocked on the blue door of Morgan and Alex's home, and waited for someone to answer.

"Sarah!" Alex squealed when she saw her standing there. "It's so good to see you." She said as she ushered her inside. "It feels like forever since we've been together."

"Yup, it's been too long. We should go out for dinner or something soon."

"Definitely."

Sarah looked around the house, observing that it was clean, no toys carelessly left here and there, but it was also quiet. "Thank you so much for picking up the kids. Today just didn't go as planned." Sarah said.

"Oh, it's no problem. My Criminology class ended early today, so I was happy to."

"It's awfully quiet thought. Where are the kids?"

"Morgan took them to the park for ice cream. I'm sorry, I was going to call, but it slipped my mind. "Alex apologized. "I'll call Morgan and let him know you're here.

"Thanks." Sarah said.

Alex went to retrieve her phone from on the kitchen counter and called Morgan. While there, she called out to Sarah "Can I get you anything?"

"A glass of water would be fine." Sarah said as she walked into the kitchen.

Alex handed her a bottle of water and a glass with ice in it. Sarah nodded in gratitude.

"Morgan mentioned that you had a doctor's appointment today. Are you ok?" Alex asked as the two ladies took a seat on the bar stools.

"Yes, I'm fine; it's nothing to worry about."

The two ladies made small talk and caught up while they waited for Morgan to return with the four children.

"Alex, we're back." Morgan said when he entered the house fifteen minutes later.

"We're in the kitchen." Alex called out to him.

They heard the pitter patter of little feet as the children made their way to them.

"Mommy!" Lisa and Levi shouted.

"Hey babies." Sarah smiled at them.

"Auntie Sarah!" Alex and Morgan's children yelled when they saw her.

"Hey Cassidy." Sarah said addressing the black-haired seven-year old first. She then turned her attention to the younger Grimes child, "Hi Adam." The four year old waved back. "You guys are getting so big." Sarah commented.

"Well they do have Morgan's appetite." Alex said as she saw Morgan searching the cupboards for a snack.

Sarah laughed at that. "Well thanks again." Sarah told Alex and Morgan before turning to her two curly-haired children. "Tell your Auntie Alex and Uncle Morgan and your cousins bye."

"I'll go get their stuff for you Sarah." Morgan said and left the room with a Grape soda in one hand and a Rice Crispie treat in the other.

"Bye bye Auntie Alex, Cassidy and Adam." The twins chorused.

Morgan returned with the twins' school bags and decided to walk them out.

"You guys could have stayed a bit longer you know." Morgan told her.

"I would've loved to. Really Morgan, but my Mom is dropping the girls off from dance rehearsals and I want to be there when they get home. But I promise, we will all get together soon." Sarah said.

"Ok. Drive safe." Morgan said. "Bye kids."

"Bye Uncle Morgan." They waved from the back seat.

* * *

><p><strong><span>~0/~**

"Mommy, you missed our rehearsals today." Emily, her nine year old, honey-haired and Egyptian blue eyed daughter accused. Her freckled face forming a pout.

"Yea Mom! You said you'd be there." Shamia, the light brown haired and beaver brown eyes piped up.

Sarah ran a hand through her blond hair. "I know girls. I'm sorry I couldn't make it." She apologized. "I had an appointment with the doctor this evening."

"Oh." Emily said, feeling bad for accusing her mother.

"Are you sick Mommy?" Shamia asked, her face filled with concern.

"No, I'm OK." Sarah assured them. "And I really am sorry about rehearsals, but I promise you, we will all be there to watch your routines on Monday."

"Even Uncle Casey and Aunt Gertrude?" Emily asked.

Sarah frowned slightly. "Your Uncle Casey and Aunt Gertrude had to go to Bogotá for a couple of days. I'm not sure if they will be back in time." She noticed that her information had caused the children to deflate.

"But I'm sure your Uncle and Aunt will do their best to make it, and if they don't, we will just record it for them and they can watch when they come back." Emma said, attempting to do some damage control.

"By the way Mom, where's Molly?"

"Oh, she's staying at her best friend Claire's house for the weekend."

"Oh." Sarah said. "Well I'm going to get some juice and check on the twins. Do any of you want any?" They all answered in the negative.

"Honey, I'm home!" Chuck announced when he opened the front door, with CJ behind him.

"Hey Chuck." Sarah greeted him when she entered the foyer and gave him a quick peck on the lips. She then turned to her son. "CJ. How was your day?"

"It was fine." He replied, shifting on his feet. "Can I go to my room?"

"Sure. You're not a prisoner; you're free to go around the house as you please." Sarah said and CJ made his way up the stairs quickly, retreating to the sanctuary of his room.

"Where are the rest of the kids?"

"Levi and Lisa are watching Frozen in the family room and the girls are with my Mom in the living room."

"Oh Emma's here?"

"Yea, I couldn't make it to their rehearsals, so I asked her to take them." Sarah explained. "She will probably stay for dinner."

"Oh. Well, what are you feeling? Chinese? Italian? Pizza? Or?" he left it open-ended for Sarah to make a suggestion.

"Pizza sounds good to me, but to be safe we should see what the kids want."

"Hi Chuck." Emma said as she and the two girls came out of the living room.

"Emma, so nice to see you." Chuck said and kissed her on her cheek.

"And hello to two of the most beautiful girls in the world." Chuck said turning to Emily and Shamia.

"Hi daddy." They both replied.

"Did you have fun at dance class?"

"Yup, the teacher said my Pirouette était trés fantastiqué." Emily said.

"And I finally got the chaînés done today. C'était trés bien."

"Great, and awesome that you girls are indulging in the foreign languages." Chuck said. "Your Mom and I are ordering in. Does pizza sound OK?"

They replied in the affirmative. "Ok. Great. Emma would you mind ordering? I need to talk to Sarah for a bit."

"Sure, and then we can go join the twins."

Emily shook her head defiantly. "Nope. I don't wanna hear 'Let It Go' again. The twins have watched that movie a million times." She said, "I'll just be in my room reading the latest Justice League comics Daddy got for me. But come get me when the pizza gets here." She said and climbed the stairs.

Emma and Shamia then left Chuck and Sarah alone and went to join the twins.

Chuck and Sarah sat on the couch and Chuck began massaging Sarah's feet. "Today has been such a long day." Chuck said.

_Tell me about it._ "What happened at CJ's school?"

Chuck sighed, before answering. "One of the security guards caught CJ, Max and two other boys spray painting one of the walls at the back of their school. When they saw him, they tried to run away. Anyway to cut a long story short, they were eventually cornered and sent to the principal. It seems the two other boys are regular troublemakers, so they were suspended for ten days. CJ and max have detention for a week."

"OK." Sarah said. "And what about damages? Do we have to pay for that? Cause if we do, it's not coming from our money; CJ can use whatever he has saved."

"I like the way you think Mrs. Bartowski. But no, they didn't do that much, so they cleaned the wall before they were allowed to go home."

"Well I hope CJ learnt a lesson." Sarah said. "And by the way, you've been holding out on me. This massage feels so good."

"I'm glad you like." Chuck said.

"And while I hate to cut this short, we have to go talk to him."

**/\**

When Chuck and Sarah got upstairs, they stopped outside CJ's bedroom door, deciding their tactical approach.

"So are we doing Good Cop/Bad Cop?" Chuck asked. "Cause if we are, I think I should be the-"

"What?" Sarah cut him off "No, we are not doing that."

"Silent Cop/Tough Cop then?" He proposed hopefully. Sarah shook her head no. Chuck slightly frowned, "Ok. What about a code word? Oh! We can use time machine in case things go south."

"Time machine?" Sarah repeated.

"Yea. We use time machine in a sentence and that's code word for back up and regroup."

"Chuck." Sarah said exasperatedly. "We are not going to interrogate some criminal, we are only going to talk to our son. "

"OK. OK. Fine." Chuck conceded.

Sarah knocked slightly on the door and they both entered the room. Chuck closed it behind them and stood against it.

"CJ." Sarah said sweetly. Her son however was on his computer playing a video game and had headphones on his ears. She walked up to him and tapped him on his shoulder, causing him to jump slightly.

"Mom, you scared me." He said and took of the headphones. "What are you two doing in here?" he asked when he noticed his father was also in the room.

"I didn't know either of us needed permission to enter any room in **our** house." Sarah said.

CJ gulped. "That's not what I meant."

"Anyway," Sarah said getting back on track. "Is there anything you want to tell me?" she asked, the smile on her making CJ uncomfortable.

"Well, um." He began, and trailed of unsure of how to continue. Sarah looked at him expectantly, one eyebrow arched. "I'm sure Dad already told you what happened!" he yelled. "So why don't you ground me or whatever and leave me the hell alone." He said, irritation laced in his voice.

Sarah stepped back in shock; he never raised his voice at her before. She felt the anger begin to boil and took a few deep breaths, deciding how to handle her son.

"Listen to me young man. You will not speak to your mother that way. "Chuck firmly stated. "Apologize to her. Now!"

"I'm sorry Mom." CJ said, not looking his mother in the eyes.

"It's OK baby." Sarah said. She sat on his bed and motioned for both him and chuck to join her. "CJ, your father did tell me what happened. But I don't understand why you did it. You've never gotten in trouble at school before. Tell me what's going on." She knew adolescence was a rough time for teenagers; after all, hers was tumultuous to say the least.

"CJ, you know you can tell your Mom and me anything." Chuck said.

CJ took a deep breath before answering his parents. "Max and I didn't want to at first. But those two guys, Ryan and Shane, they said if we did, we would get invited to this party next weekend."

"CJ listen to me." Sarah said. "It's ok if people don't like you. You shouldn't do things you don't want to just to fit in. It's always better to be yourself. And if these boys try to pressure you or anything, tell one of your teachers or the principal."

"But Mom, then everyone will think I'm a tattle tale."

"It doesn't matter what people think about you. Sometimes doing the right thing makes people turn away from you." Chuck said. "But in the end, your real friends, like Max, they will always stick by you."

"OK. I promise I'll stay out of trouble." CJ said.

"Good." Chuck said and patted him on the shoulder.

"I'm going to go check on Emily." Sarah said as she and chuck turned to leave the room. "Oh, and by the way, no more computer usage unless it's school related or video games for a week."

"Aw Mom!" CJ groaned when she shut the door.

* * *

><p><strong><span>~0/~**

Emma had ordered two pizzas and they arrived within thirty minutes.

"Lisa, don't talk with your mouth full." Sarah admonished. "And Levi, chew with your mouth closed."

CJ took a sip of his soda and burped loudly. The twins laughed at that and tried unsuccessfully to mimic him.

"Ewww." Shamia said.

"You're so gross CJ." Emily told him.

"Manners people." Chuck said. "I think your mother and I did a good job of teaching you them. Use them."

Sarah quickly excused herself from the table, as she felt the familiar sensation of food making its way back up her mouth takeover. She quickly ran up the stairs, and ran into her' same Chuck's adjoining bathroom. After purging herself of the day's food, Sarah wiped her mouth and leaned against the cool surface of the bathtub. _This feels nice. S_he closed her eyes, trying to control her breathing and return her body to normal. She lifted her T-shirt to look at her stomach and began rubbing circles around it. "You know baby…Mommy really needs to keep something down if you're gonna grow up to be healthy…I really want what's best for you."

She sat there for a while, waiting to see if another wave of nausea would hit her. When it didn't, Sarah cleaned up and then brushed her teeth._ God I hope this inability to keep anything down soon passes._

Sarah sat on the couch in the corner of the room, trying to recollect herself before re-joining her family downstairs.

"Knock. Knock." Emma said as she entered the room.

Sarah cast a glance towards her as she entered.

"Do you mind telling me what is going on?" Emma asked Sarah as she sat down next to her daughter on the couch. When Sarah didn't reply, she continued, "Honey, are you sure you're feeling OK?"

"I'm fine." Sarah told her, and smiled to convince her.

Emma wasn't fooled. She placed her hand on Sarah's forehead and then under her neck, trying to determine if she had a fever. "You don't seem to be running a fever." Sarah shot her a look as to say 'I told you I was fine.' "But you feel a bit clammy. You know, you still haven't told me what happened at the doctor."

Sarah knew her mother was persistent, and at the moment, she didn't have the energy to keep deflecting. Wordlessly, she got up from the couch and moved to her dresser where she had rested her handbag. Sarah dug through it, until she found the brown paper bag she needed. Sarah hesitated, as she looked inside at the pre-natal vitamins. She felt conflicted, should she tell her mother about the pregnancy? On one hand, she wanted Chuck to be the first to know, but on the other, she wanted to get some advice….she wasn't sure how Chuck would take the news.

Emma noticed Sarah's hesitation. "Sarah?" Emma called out to her. She was beginning to grow very concerned, her daughter was acting strange. She got up from the chair and walked over to Sarah, hugging her from behind. "Honey, you're really beginning to scare me."

Sarah made her decision; she took the brown paper bag from her bag and handed it to her mother, then reclaimed her position in the couch, waiting for her to look inside. Emma looked at her curiously, before peeping inside.

She took out the pre-natal vitamins, and read the label on the box, her eyes widening in shock.

"You're pregnant?" Emma asked.

Sarah nodded. Emma walked over to Sarah and wrapped her hands around her. "That's not the reaction I was expecting." Emma said looking at Sarah who had a faraway look on her face. "Sarah? You're not happy about this pregnancy? Are you?"

Sarah didn't answer, and that only made her mother more anxious. "Sarah!" Emma screamed, grabbing her face in both her hands and turning it so Sarah would look directly in her eyes. "I hope you're not thinking about doing anything stupid." Emma said. She knew her daughter, knew how much she loved Chuck and her family, but she also knew that her life was a bit hectic considering she was raising five children.

Sarah's eyes snapped then. "Mom, of all people should know that I'd never do anything to jeopardize what Chuck and I have…. If I did anything to harm this baby, if I thought about ending this pregnancy, Chuck would never forgive me…I would never forgive myself…"Sarah knew doing any such thing would probably tear their family apart. She had always dreamed of being part of such a warm, loving and welcoming family, and she'd never do anything to break them apart. "I'm not that selfish…I wouldn't do that just because life has been crazy the past couple of days. This baby, unexpected or not is half me and half Chuck and I love him or her already….How could you even think I'd consider something like that?" Sarah said, as she fought back the tears. _Damn hormones!_

Emma pulled Sarah into her arms, trying to shush her. "Hey, it's OK. I didn't mean to upset you or anything. Believe me, it was never my intention. I just wanted to know what you're thinking; you're not talking to me." Emma said. "Just tell me what you're thinking." Emma pleaded.

"I'm scared Mom. I don't know how I'm going to manage a baby and the other kids...I don't even know how I'm going to tell Chuck! When we had the twins, that was supposed to be it…And now, when I'm close to hitting forty, bam! Pregnant again." Sarah said.

"I admit, it is a big surprise. I really didn't expect to be changing diapers again until Molly had her first." Emma commented. "But, this baby, like you said, it's half you, and half Chuck. It's a product of your love for each other. Now I know I wasn't around from the beginning of your courtship, but I think I can safely say that your love is strong, the bond you two share is unbreakable. I'm sure Chuck will be happy about the new baby. Yes he'll probably be in shock, but I know he'll be happy. And as for how you're gonna manage a new-born and the other five kids, you're not alone in this. Chuck's going to be by your side, I'll be here, Molly, Mary, Devon and Ellie, Morgan and Alex, even Casey and Gertrude. You have your family, and I can say that we will all be here to support you." Emma said.

Sarah nodded her Mom was right, as usual. "Thank you. I really needed to hear that."

"You're welcome." Emma said and wiped Sarah's tears away. "Now there's something I need you to do for me. Sarah looked at her questioningly. "Take some deep breaths and please try to stop worrying about Chuck's reaction to the news. All this worrying won't be good for the baby."

"Yes Ma'am." Sarah laughed and gave her a mock salute.

They both turned their direction to the door when they heard a knock. Sarah shoved the vitamins behind the throw cushion. Chuck opened the door and popped his head in.

"Everything in here ok?" Chuck asked. Though the question was asked out loud, he looked directly into to Sarah's eyes. _Had she been crying?_ Chuck could sense that something was wrong.

"Yea, everything is good. We were just talking for a bit. We'll be right down." Emma said and smiled.

Chuck still stood there, unconvinced, he wanted to ask Sarah what was wrong, but thought better of it. "Well you might wanna hurry. The kids have eaten almost all the pizza."

"Oh, well in that case, I better go try to save myself a slice." Emma said as she got up from the couch. "Remember what I said." She whispered into Sarah's ear and gave her a kiss on her temple. Emma smiled at Chuck before closing the door behind her.

"Sarah?"

Yea Chuck?"

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yes Chuck, I'm fine." She said, giving him a soft kiss on his lips to assure him.

Chuck smiled at her after they broke the kiss. He knew she was acting a little off and he was determined to find out what it was about. However, he decided it could wait until later that night when they got the kids to bed. The pair then returned downstairs to finish their pizza. An hour later, all the children in the household were showered and the older ones were preparing to watch a movie. It was nearing the twins' bedtime so Sarah was getting ready to tell them their story. Sarah sat on Levi's bed, thinking of possible ways to break the news to Chuck and her mind drifted back to the previous times she had done so...

* * *

><p><strong>AN#2:<strong>Thanks so much for reading. Read and review. The next part will be out in about two/three days.

And for those of you who follow my other story, have no fear, I'll be updating soon, I've just been quite caught up in the Crop Over Festival activities.


	6. Full House (Part deux)

**AN: Thanks again to charahkids for his help and to all of you who read, favourited/reviewed/followed.**

**This would've been out sooner but it needed some minor changes and when I did make them, for the life of me, the site wouldn't let me save the changes to the doc. I tried EVERYTHING (even switching browsers and using Internet Explorer...the horror *_shudders_*.) :(**

**Full House part 2: 6717 words.**

* * *

><p><strong>~0/~**

Flashbacks

**Saturday, October 15th 2012**

They had agreed. They were both ready to start their family, and neither could wait until their practice sessions were finally successful.

"Sarah, you know this is the fifth morning in a row that you've been praying to the porcelain god." Chuck said as he entered the bathroom. He sat next to Sarah, and pulled the hair from clinging to her face, then rubbed her back.

"Yea, I know." Sarah said, she felt like death "And I'm a few days late."

She saw the hope in Chuck's eyes, the question he was asking. "Do you think you could be pregnant?"

"Honestly Chuck, I think so." Sarah said. "But I don't want to get our hopes up, so maybe we could wait a few more days." Sarah suggested.

"Ok." Chuck agreed, hoping he wouldn't go crazy by the uncertainty. "In the meantime, how about we get you some herbal tea and settle your stomach."

Sarah smiled at his concern for her. Even if she wasn't pregnant, she knew they would eventually, and there was no better man she'd want to start a family with.

Four days later, they decided to go to the pharmacy to but an at home pregnancy test. Ten minutes after they got home, they were both sitting on the edge of the bath tub. After their confusion about if the symbol was an arrow or a peace sign the first time they thought she might had been pregnant, they had gone with the ClearBlue digital pregnancy test.

Sarah held the stick in her hand, while Chuck looked at his watch. According to the stopwatch, they had one more minute to wait until the results came in. When they heard the small alarm, they turned to each other, and then to the stick.

The word 'Pregnant' was displayed in the window. At that moment, both Chuck and Sarah were in absolute bliss. Chuck leaned in and captured her lips in a sweet kiss, pouring the love and hope for the future he had into it.

"I can't believe we're pregnant already."

"We?" Sarah questioned. "Um, correct me if I'm wrong Chuck, but you aren't the one who can't keep anything down, you won't be the one who has feet the size of tree trunks and you definitely won't be the one who has to push an eight pound baby through her hoo hah." Sarah said while staring him down.

"Come on Sarah." Chuck said trying to placate her. "You know what I meant."

Sarah kept her firm gaze on him, before smiling, which lead Chuck to breathe a sigh of relief. "I was just playing with you Chuck. I'm just so happy. I wasn't expecting to get pregnant as soon as we started trying."

"Well then… I guess my boys can really swim. I mean come on, we decided to start trying earlier last month and here we are. Am I good? Or am I good?" Chuck said and wiggled his eyebrows. He earned a punch on the shoulder for that.

* * *

><p><span><strong>~0/~**

**Thursay, December 24th 2015**

Christmas with the Bartowski family was always a fun affair. It was Christmas Eve and Chuck and Sarah had almost finished decorating the house. Their two and a half year old son was still up, even though it was way past his bed time.

"Chuck, I told you we shouldn't have let him have any of those cookies I baked." Sarah chastised as she saw her son running up and down the house, obviously on a sugar high.

"Come on Sarah. It's almost Christmas, I'm sure just this once we can let it slide." Chuck said. "And besides, with all these bright decorations and him wanting to wait up until Santa came, I don't think we would've been able to get him to bed."

"I guess you're right. Christmas is his favourite holiday." Sarah said looking at the child who was taking in all the decorations. "We're almost finished here. Thank God. Tomorrow's going to be such a long day." Sarah said. They would be hosting Christmas dinner this year.

"It will, so we need to be getting to bed soon." Chuck agreed. "I'm just about ready to crash. How bout we finish the tree, get him to bed and then place the presents under the tree?"

"Sounds like a plan."

For The next twenty minutes, the family of three worked on applying the remaining garlands and ornaments to the tree. It was then time to put the angel on the top. Sarah retrieved it from its wrapping in the box.

"Daddy! Daddy!" CJ shouted, and tugged at his father's pants. "Up." He commanded. "I wanna put the angel on the tree."

Chuck smiled and lifted his son into his arms, and brought him closer to the eight foot tree. Sarah handed it to him. "Be careful." Sarah warned as she placed the angel, which she and Chuck had bought for their first Christmas as a real couple in his hands.

CJ nodded, and took the ornament from his mother and with great concentration placed it on the top. Chuck then plugged in the extension, I to which the Christmas lights had been connected. The three stood back as they took in the sight before them. The pine sweet smell of the tree ghosted through the room, the silver flash of tinsel glittered brightly and the twinkle of the Christmas lights all added to the feel of Christmas in the home.

"Pretty Mommy!" CJ opined.

"I think it's beautiful." Chuck said.

"It's missing one thing though." Sarah said pensively.

Chuck looked at her quizzically. "And what would that be Mrs. Bartowski?"

Sarah smiled at him before saying. "I'll be right back." When she returned two minutes later, a small box was in her hands. She handed it to Chuck. "Open it."

"I thought we weren't exchanging gifts until Christmas. We've still got an hour and some change left." Chuck said looking at his watch.

"Chuck." Sarah said, a smile making its way on to her face. "Shut up and open the box."

"Alright, alright." Chuck said and removed the lid from the box. Chuck looked at his wife and back to the contents of the box, confused. Inside the box, he found a baby bootie Christmas ornament which had a crochet pattern.

He held it up to her, his eyes questioning, and darting from her stomach back to her face, His brain connecting the dots. "Are you pregnant?"

Sarah nodded. "Yes Chuck. Merry Christmas."

Chuck smiled brilliantly, wrapping Sarah in his arms and spinning her around in the air. Sarah laughed during this and gave him short but sweet kiss when he put her down.

"I'm assuming you're happy about this?" Sarah asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Chuck said. "This is awesome."

Sarah smiled once again, and pulled Chuck into a kiss again, mindful that their young son was still in the room. "I'm glad you think so. 'Cause I'm really excited."

"When did you find out?"

"Yesterday. I was going to tell you tomorrow, but I couldn't keep it a secret any longer."

"So, a baby, huh? Think we can handle it?"

"With you by my side, I can do anything."

They both smiled at that.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Their son who had stopped playing with his fire truck on the floor interrupted them. They both turned their attention to him. "Cookies and milk for Santa."

Chuck laughed. "How could we forget Santa?" He asked with faux-seriousness. I'll go pour the milk. Sarah, you can get the cookies."

**~/0/~**

**Saturday, July 22nd 2017**

Sarah did the 'dead man's drop' on to her bed and Sarah sighed contentedly. She had finally been able to get ten month old Emily down for her nap. Right now, she just wanted to sleep. Lately, she had been feeling extremely exhausted, and sleep was hard to come by especially now that she had a cranky baby who was beginning to crawl and teething at the same time and a three year old who was a ball of energy. Sarah reached across to the bedside drawers and took out her journal.

She flipped through the journal, checking to see if there were any appointments or important events coming up. It was then she noticed it. Her period was late. Panic began to consume her, and her eyes widened. Wait. When was the last time I had my period. She racked her brain, trying to remember. Calm down Sarah. She decided to look through her journal, looking for her last noted period. Her last noted cycle had been in May…. Could she be pregnant again? Doing her mental calculations, Sarah realised she was in fact six weeks late….

Okkk… no problem…. Sarah told herself. It's nothing to get worried about…. She knew that after pregnancy, the body took a while to adjust and return to normal, so maybe she wasn't pregnant…maybe her period was still getting back on track…

She wasn't on birth control anymore. She had discontinued use after they first decided to try for a baby and she certainly could not use contraceptives while she was breast feeding…oh god Sarah thought…

She couldn't go to the pharmacy now, as Emily was asleep. But she didn't want to wait until Chuck and CJ got back from the supermarket before she slipped out. This uncertainty would drive her crazy. She had to find out. She went to the phone and dialled.

-"Hey Maria. It's Sarah."-

-"Sarah. How are you?"-

-"I'm fine. I was wondering if you could do me a favour."-

-"Sure, what is it?"-

-"I really need to step out of the house for a couple of minutes, half an hour at the most. But chuck isn't here and Emily's asleep. Can you watch her for me?"-

-"Yea, no problem. Give me a minute to lock up and I'll be right over."-

-"Ok. Thank you."-

After ending the call, Sarah looked at herself in the mirror and realised she did not look presentable enough to go out in public, even if she was only making one stop. She quickly shed her cargo pants and camisole in favour of a pair of blue jeans, a red shirt and her brown jacket. After that, she washed her face, and applied some of her face powder and a thin trace of lip gloss. Her hair was still a mess, so she took the comb and untangled the few knots and then pulled her hair into a high one. Deeming herself presentable enough, Sarah checked on Emily in the nursery and was relieved that she was sleeping peacefully. She leant over the crib and placed a kiss on her daughter's cheek before making sure the monitors were on. Then she left the room.

She was on her way downstairs when the doorbell rang. "Coming!" she called out, loud enough so the person could hear, yet she was mindful of the sleeping baby. She opened the red front door. "Hey Maria." Sarah said when she was her petite African-American neighbour at the door. "Come on in. I hope I'm not pulling you away from anything."

"No, not at all. Dwayne is off playing golf with some old friends of his, so I was watching re-runs of my soap opera to pass the time. Trust me, it's no big deal."

"Ok. Thank you." Sarah said. "I gave her some medicine to help with her gums, and she was running a fever earlier, so if she wakes up, she might be a bit cranky. She prefers to rest on your shoulder, not to be cradled. The medication is on her bedroom dresser, I've got milk stored in the fridge and the formula is in the cupboard. Oh and if she doesn't want either but is hungry, we have some mashed potatoes and carrots in the–"

"Sarah," Maria interrupted, "I'm sixty-five years old. I've got three children and five grandchildren. I think I know a thing or two about teething babies. Go, we will be fine."

"Ok." Sarah relented. "But if anything pops up, my cell number is on the fridge, and so is Chuck's."

"Sarah, this isn't the first time I've watched one of the kids for you." Maria reminded her. "Just go."

"Ok. I'll see you in a few." Sarah said before heading out.

Thankfully, the traffic wasn't as heavy as Sarah had expected, so she had been able to get to the closest pharmacy and back in twenty-five minutes. When she got back, she and Maria had chatted for a bit, and enjoyed lunch. By that time; Emily had woken up, been fed and fallen back to sleep. After they cleaned up, Sarah bid Maria goodbye, thanking her once again for watching Emily.

Sarah sat on the couch, tapping the box which contained the pregnancy test against her thigh. After ten minutes of hesitancy, she went to the bathroom. The five minutes it took for the results to come in felt like an eternity. She paced the room anxiously as she waited. Her eyes bounced on everything in the room except for the pregnancy test and her phone, you know, that whole thing about time going faster if you don't look at the clock. When the timer on her phone sounded, she took a deep breath before walking over to look at it.

PREGNANT... Well, there it was, she was expecting. AGAIN. She always did think it would be nice to have their children close in age, but she wasn't thinking this close in age. Her hands drifted to her stomach. A baby was in there. Her baby. Chuck's baby, and even though she knew this would be challenging; having three children under five, she was sure she and chuck would be able to find a balance. Now all she had to do was tell Chuck.

**/\**

"Hey baby." Chuck greeted her when he came through the front door.

"Hey you two." Sarah called out from the kitchen.

"Mommy, we got a costume for Emily." CJ said excitedly.

"Costume?" Sarah asked confused.

"For Halloween." He said simply, Sarah cocked an eyebrow at him and then her husband, wondering why they were buying costumes so early.

"Oh you did." Sarah said smiling at him. "Let me see."

Chuck smiled as Sarah was pulled into the living room by their son as he went to put away the groceries.

CJ sat on the couch and urged his mom to sit. "We got the prettiest costume in the whole store." CJ declared proudly. "Daddy wanted to buy the baby lamb costume, but I told him not to get that one."

"Well it's a good thing you tagged along isn't it?" Sarah asked and CJ nodded enthusiastically. Sarah took the bag rom him, taking the coloured wrapping paper from out of it. Sarah took out the costume and held it up, so she could better view it. CJ had chosen a flower costume, which featured a pink stretch dress with an attached purple layered tutu with pink flower detail, matching flower headpiece, and convenient diaper cover. "It's really pretty CJ."

"You really like it Mommy?" CJ asked; his chocolate brown eyes filled with happiness.

"Yes, and I'm sure Emily will look beautiful in it." Sarah said. "We'll take lots of pictures during Halloween."

"Can she try it on now?" CJ asked.

"No baby. Remember I told you yesterday; Emily's teething, so she's not feeling well. She's sleeping right now, so we will have to do that tomorrow."

Sarah could see that he was disappointed. "Ok Mommy." he said.

"Hey CJ." Chuck said entering the living room. "Do you think I can borrow your Mommy for a moment?"

"Yea Daddy. I have to draw a picture for Mimi." CJ announced. "Where are my crayons Mommy?"

"You left them in the office."

"Oh." He said, before running of to retrieve the aforementioned crayons.

"Nice kid." Chuck commented. "He must take after his father."'

"Oh, you are so full of it Chuck." Sarah joked and slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "Anyway, you what did you want to talk about?"

"What? Can't I just want to spend time with my beautiful wife?" Chuck asked and gave her a quick kiss, receiving a smile from Sarah.

"I'm not complaining. But I do have to ask why you're buying Halloween costumes so early; you do know that this is only July."

"I know that, but CJ practically dragged me into the store when he saw some costumes in the display window."

"Oh. I see." Sarah said, "Well hopefully this costume can actually fit Emily when Halloween rolls around."

"It should, I bought it two sizes bigger, so I figure that's enough room."

"And I hope you didn't buy CJ a costume." Sarah said. Knowing her son, he'd be excited about having the costume and would want to wear it as soon as possible.

Chuck laughed. "No I didn't actually. He was really set on this cowboy one, but I told him we will wait a bit in case any new cartoons come out and he wants to dress like one of them." Sarah nodded; it was a good idea as CJ changed his favourite cartoon character every month.

"And what about yourself? Found anything interesting?"

"I think I'd make a pretty good Frandral the Dashing." Chuck said referring to the Avengers character. "I've already got the dashing part covered. Once I find the costume and a bottle of blond dye, I'll be all set."

Sarah ran her hands through his brown curls. "You're right about the dashing. Cause you are devastatingly handsome, but I think I prefer you as a brunette."

"Hmm..." Chuck mused, "But think about it, if I go blond, I'll finally be able to answer one of the deepest mysteries of the universe: Do blonds have more fun?"

Sarah laughed dryly. "Aren't you the comedian?"

"Ah, but that's why you love me. And of course, cause I am adorable."

'Yes you are."

"So, Emily's gonna be a flower, thanks to CJ and I'm probably gonna go with Frandral and CJ will be whatever character catches his fancy, so that only leaves you. What or who are you going to dress up as? Have you given any thought to it?"

"I don't know Chuck. My mind hasn't really been on Halloween."

"Well I've got some ideas, you can dress up as The Black Widow, I mean you do have that leather suit stored around somewhere right?" Chuck asked her. "Oh! I got it; you can resurrect those wings from Valentines and be an angel."

"While those are excellent suggestions," Sarah began sarcastically, "None can work. I'm sure that leather suit is far too tight by now, I'm not sure I'd be able to move that much in it, and those wings were damaged during our makeup session after that mission with Roan."

Chuck's eyes glazed over at the memory. "Oh right. And if I remember correctly, that red night gown was ripped during that making up."

"Cause you couldn't wait to get me out of it. After all that money I spent on that lingerie..." She trailed off with a pout.

"Come on Sarah! We both know that you didn't expect to wear that thing for more than ten minutes." He said and wiggled his eyebrows. "And besides, with you looking like you did in that thing, I would've had to been insane not to get you out of it."

Sarah blushed at his compliment and inched toward him. "You know you're not so bad yourself."

"Why thank you Mrs. Bartowski." Chuck said, his eyes darting from her eyes to her lips a couple of times.

They closed the small gap between them, crashing their lips together. Sarah parted her lips slightly, allowing Chuck's tongue entrance and she couldn't stop the moan that escaped her lips when Chuck swept his tongue over hers, caressing it. She nibbled slightly on his lip, causing Chuck to growl and that only made the fire in her ignite even more. Sarah ran her hands through his hair, pulling him closer to her, as she tried to maintain physical contact with every inch of his body. They were lying on the couch, Sarah under Chuck and his hands under her shirt when the baby monitor cracked to life, the whining sounds of their daughter breaking the moment.

With a slight groan, Chuck sat back up, and wiped Sarah's lip gloss from his lips. Meanwhile, she straightened her clothes and hair. The crying on the monitor became more incessant.

"I'll go get her."

"Ok. She's probably hungry. I'm going to go check on CJ, so bring her down to the family room."

**/\**

Chuck and Sarah had tucked in CJ and were now in the nursery, watching their baby girl sleep.

"Are you sure we shouldn't call Emma? Or Ellie? Or even my Mom?"

"Chuck, she's fine. Remember her paediatrician said it was normal for babies to be cranky when they're teething. I guess we got lucky with CJ 'cause he only had the cold when he started teething."

"But she keeps rubbing her gums." Chuck said concerned, "She must be in so much pain."

"That's why there's the teething ring and medication." Sarah said. "Chuck you're worrying about nothing. I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Yea, you're right. I just don't like seeing anyone that I love in pain."

"I know, and that's one of the many things I love about you." Sarah said. "Now come on, let's get some sleep. She probably won't sleep through the night, so we will need the rest." She then turned on the night light and led Chuck out of the room.

When they got to their room, Sarah decided it was time to tell Chuck. She tried to decide a good approach for broaching the topic. Chuck was busy picking a suit for a business meeting in the morning.

"Not that one." She said when he took out a blue shirt and a blue and white striped tie. "The red tie goes with that shirt better."

Chuck smiled at her. "What would I do without you?"

Sarah walked over to him, "Oh I don't know. Make poor wardrobe decisions the majority of the time."

Chuck leaned his forehead against hers and wrapped his hands around her waist. "Have I told you I loved you today?"

"Probably a couple of times." Sarah said coyly. "But I never get tired of hearing it."

"Well, Sarah Lisa Bartowski, I love you with my heart, being and soul."

"And I you." Sarah said. She kissed him and then stepped out of his embrace. She sat on the bed and motioned for Chuck to join her. When he did, she said, "So I was thinking about Halloween. And I've actually got a few ideas for my costume,"

"Really? Care to share them with me or is it a surprise?"

"Well, I was thinking I could wear a box made to look like an oven." Sarah said. From Chuck's reaction, she could tell he was not expecting that. "Or maybe a mummy or a stork."

"Um wow...those are three interesting options...the first one is definitely one that's not over done." Chuck commented.

"I know. I think I would stand out. And if we go with the first option, you can wear a chef's outfit with 'The Bun Maker' written on the apron. "

Chuck still looked at her confused, as his brain tried to figure out what Sarah was trying to subtly tell him.

"Chuck, I'm pregnant." Sarah said deciding to cut to the chase.

His eyes bulged out of his head, and the proverbial light bulb went off. Ohhhh….that's what she was trying to say. "Oh! Yo- youu-, you're preg- pregnant?" Chuck stuttered.

"Yup, I found out today." Sarah said. "Surprise."

"Oh my goodness. This is so fantastic. I can't believe I didn't notice the symptoms. I must be the worst husband in the world! How are you? How's that baby? Are you feeling ok? Can I get you anything?" Chuck rambled.

"Chuck," Sarah shushed him by placing her forefinger on his lips. "You're rambling." Sarah said. "I'm fine. I didn't even have most of the symptoms I did with the other two, there wasn't any morning sickness or anything. I was just feeling tired and this morning I realised I was late, so I decided to take the test to be sure." Sarah said, trying to dispel any potential guilt Chuck might have for missing her symptoms. "I'm going to call my doctor tomorrow and set up an appointment."

Chuck smiled and rubbed small circles on Sarah's belly. "I didn't think we would be expanding our family so soon. But I'm really excited." Chuck said and placed a kiss on her stomach.

Sarah was glad that he was so happy about the news. "You do realise what this means don't you?" Sarah asked.

"Yea I know, changing diapers for at least another three years."

"Sleepless nights." Sarah added.

"Midnight and early morning feedings."

"Having various bodily fluids on our clothes."

"How do you feel about this?"

"I guess it's going to be nice to have them close in age and I'm happy. But I admit, I was a bit upset when I found out earlier. For some reason I thought you wouldn't be happy. I mean Emily's teething and crawling all over the place, CJ started preschool a while ago, we still have to manage CI; we already have a lot on our plate as is."

"Sarah, hey. Yes we've got a lot going on, but we will find a way. We always do."

* * *

><p><strong><span>~0/~**

**Present time.**

She was pulled from her trip down memory lane when she heard the twins come running back upstairs, having gone to tell their grandmother goodbye and bidding the others good night. They rushed into their room and climbed into their beds, anxious for story time.

"What did we say about running in the house, especially on the stairs?"

"That we shouldn't." Lisa said.

"Cause we could fall and hurt ourselves." Levi added.

"Right. So I don't expect to see either of you doing it again." Sarah said. The twins nodded in agreement and snuggled further into the covers. "So, what story do you want me to read tonight?"

"The Princess and the Frog." Lisa suggested.

"No, not that one Mommy. I wanna hear Pinocchio."

"That's boring."

"No it's not." Levi argued.

"Yea it is. And it's stupid. People aren't made out of wood."

"Well Princess and The Frog is stupid too! People can't turn in to frogs." The older twin shot back.

Sarah laughed softly at their arguing. Though the twins were a lot alike and usually enjoyed the same things, for example swimming, finger painting, and thanks to Chuck the Marvel animated series, they could never agree on a bed time story, so she or Chuck usually had to play mediator and choose for them.

"OK. OK. No need to argue. I'll choose the story." Sarah said and went over to their bookcase. For their age, the twins had quite a collection of books already, thanks to their grandmothers and the older Woodcombs who tended to bring encyclopaedias for the children whenever they visited Burbank. She shrugged, when Ellie had shown her the encyclopaedia Honey had bought for Clara, she was a bit baffled. She shook her head Honey Woodcomb did have a unique thinking when it came to gift-giving. Needless to say, it had become sort of an expectation from the Woodcomb matriarch. Mary had taken it upon herself to have the Frost Queen story reprinted and re-backed after they had CJ and the book had now become a sort of family heirloom.

"How about The Gingerbread Man?" The children conveyed their acceptance and Sarah sat down again on Levi's bed. "Once upon a time,"

"Why do all these stores begin with once upon a time Mommy?" Levi asked.

Sarah smiled at Levi's curiosity, "Well sweetie, it's a stock phrase which has been used since around 1380, especially for fairy tales."

"What's a stock phrase?"

"It's a phrase that's been used for a long time."

"Ooohhh."

"Now can I carry on with the story? Or are you two gonna bombard me with more questions?"

Levi made a motion of zipping his mouth and throwing away the key.

"Carry on." Lisa said.

"Ok." Sarah said surprised, she had expected them to ask her what a phrase was. _Oh well_ she shrugged and began reading. "Once upon a time, there was..."

**/\**

"Daddy." Emily said running up to Chuck who was searching the cupboards for the microwaveable popcorn. "Shamia got her head stuck in the banister again."

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me. I told her not to do that." Chuck lamented as he followed his other daughter.

When Chuck came to the staircase, he shook his head. "Sweetie, why do you keep doing this to yourself?" Chuck asked.

Shamia shrugged her shoulders- well tried to. "I thought I could get out this time."

"You're not Houdini." Chuck said. "Emily, go get the baby oil from your Mom."

"Ok Daddy." she said and ran up the stairs, her long legs allowing her to take two at a time.

"Hey!" Chuck called out after her, "What did we say about running up the stairs?"

"Sorry!" she yelled down.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Chuck turned to the top of the stairs, to see both CJ and Emily coming down.

Emily handed him the bottle of baby oil. "Here you go Daddy. But Mommy said to keep it down, she's trying to get the twins to fall asleep."

"Thanks Emily." Chuck said taking the bottle.

"I'm just gonna say it right now. She needs psychological help." CJ quipped as he took in the scene. "It's just not normal for someone to be so stupid."

Shamia growled from her position. She's hanging out way too much with Casey Chuck thought. "Hey, be nice to your sister." Chuck warned. "Ok, Shamia, promise me this will be the last time that you do this ridiculousness." Chuck said turning his attention back to his daughter.

"Fine." She agreed and Chuck got to work, rubbing the baby oil along the staircase. "Ow!" she whined when she was set free.

"There, be free Excalibur." Chuck joked. "Now, will the three of you please behave? I'm going to pop the popcorn; you guys can choose the movie."

**/\**

When the movie finished, it was well after eleven. Chuck and the children cleaned up. Then he sent them to bed, reminding them to brush their teeth first. Chuck then activated the security system before turning the lights off and climbing the stairs. He checked on all of his older children, and wished them good night after making sure they were settled. When he came to the twins' room, he entered and watched them for a while. Their nightlight cast a soft glow on their sleeping forms and Chuck was filled with an intense love for them both. He smiled as he stared at them, they were still so innocent and curious about the world, always asking questions and ready to learn, and always joyful.

And his mind drifted to when they decided to try for a fourth...

* * *

><p><span><strong>~0/~**

Flashback

**Friday, October 21st 2022**

The Bartowski home was unusually quiet, as none of their children were currently home. Chuck and Sarah had returned from a night out, which consisted of dinner, a walk on the beach where they stargazed, the two pointing out constellations to each other and then a stop for some ice cream. Now, upon returning home, both were tired but happy. Sarah was in the bathroom applying her night cream when Chuck called out to her. "You know Sarah, I'm still not sure that we should've allowed CJ to go camping with Casey."

"Chuck, I'm sure they'll be fine, and besides, Morgan went with them." Sarah said. When she came out of the bathroom, Chuck was pulling down the covers.

"Yea, cause that makes it better." He said dryly. "CJ is seven years old and even though Morgan grew up plenty in these last couple of years, he's still pretty much a kid in Casey's eyes."

"Chuck, Casey knows his boundaries. I think it's good that they're having some bonding time."

"Yea yea. Well when he comes back grunting and with a love of all things Reagan and hatred of all things communist, AND recounting Casey's 'Angel de la Muerte' stories, don't say I didn't warn you." Chuck retorted.

"Chuck." Sarah said walking towards him. "The girls are spending the weekend with my Mom and Molly and CJ is camping with Casey and Morgan. Do you realise we have the whole house to ourselves? You know how rare that is. I'm sure we can find better things to occupy our time." Sarah said, playing with the bow on the front of her nightie suggestively.

Chuck grabbed her by her waist, and attacked her lips. When he pulled away, he said, "I like the way you think."

Chuck didn't need any further encouragement as he closed the small distance between them, attacking her lips...

Later that night

"Sarah...Sarah...hey honey...wake up, love." Chuck said, shaking her awake.

"WA...what happened?...Chuck?...What's wrong?...THE KIDS! Are they alright?!" OMG! The old Sarah came out. Her defensive mechanism sprang to life. She jumped out of bed and was running to the door, when Chuck called her.

"Sarah! Honey, everything is fine. The kids are not here. We have the whole weekend to ourselves." Chuck reminded her.

Relief washed over Sarah and she walked back to bed, only to see Chuck smiling.

"What's so funny, buster? Do you enjoy seeing your wife scared?"

Chuck felt bad and he went to hug her, but she was having none of that. "I'm sorry. You reminded me of old, kick ass ninja Sarah."

"OLD?"

Uh, oh. "FORMER." Chuck stressed. "What I meant to say was former."

"That's more like it"

Chuck was relieved. He knew she could kick his butt...BAD. Chuck cleared his throat. "Sarah, it sounded you were having a bad dream."

Good catch, Sherlock.

"Mind telling me...please."

Sarah's weakness was his puppy dog eyes. Oh, how this man has so much control of me.

Chuck was waiting patiently for Sarah to collect herself and tell him the dream. With a deep sigh, she said: "I dreamed that I was pregnant again and it was kind of, I don't know." She trailed off, shrugging her shoulders. "I guess that's why you were concerned and woke me up".

Chuck smiled again. "You dreaming of having another baby. Sarah, that's so cute. "

Cute? Sarah was trying very hard to not snap at him, but all of a sudden, she had an epiphany. "Chuck"

"..and we have three beautiful children, a successful business..."

"Chuck"

"...and everything we ever wanted...oh, did I tell you? Morgan and I came with a new program that..."

"CHUCK!"

He stopped his babbling and looked at his wife.

"Chuck, I want another baby."

He did a double take. "Wha...what...huh?

"You heard me. I want another baby."

Chuck was dumbfounded. He then started to laugh. "Oh, you're good, very, very good. You really had me going there for a while, honey."

Sarah gave him her patented Walker steely blue eyes of certain death glare and frowned slightly. Chuck's laughter melted away...oh boy. "Chuck, my dream told me something. I want another baby and if my recollection is correct, you said that the only thing you want is to see and make me happy. Are you backing out on that promise?"

Chuck could see his wife's plea and his heart melted. If his wife wanted another baby, then by gone, she'd have it. He cared so much about this woman. "Sarah, I'm so sorry for laughing, I thought you were joking, I can be so dense, that I didn't see it."

You got that right, DENSE. "Chuck, I want this so bad and if I can still make us more beautiful babies, then I will. This is what makes me happy. And the kids have been asking for another sibling, preferably a brother. Think we can work on that tonight?"

Chuck was heart warmed and felt very lucky to have such an incredible woman as his wife and the mother of his children. He sometimes had to pinch himself.

"Yes." said Chuck.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, I think we can work on that all weekend Mrs. Bartowski." Chuck said and climbed on top of her. Sarah giggled. "I love you." He said earnestly.

"I love you too." Sarah said. "Now let's make baby number four." With that, she pulled him down on top of her.

**/\**

Two months later, after Sarah realized her bras were getting tighter, her libido was out of control (not that Chuck minded), she was late and she was constantly hungry, she went out and bought a pregnancy test. Chuck and the children had gone to the Farmer's Market to get some fresh vegetables for dinner, so it was the perfect time for her to go the pharmacy. Subconsciously, she knew she was pregnant, but seeing it on the pregnancy stick made it more real.

She smiled to herself; a new life was growing inside of her. She looked at her stomach, the smile growing wilder. "Hey baby." She said, and then she remembered ear drums didn't develop until week twelve, but she didn't care. "I'm so happy that you're in there, and wait until I tell your Daddy, he's going to be so excited." Sarah said. And I think I have the perfect way to tell him.

Two hours later

"Dinner was fantastic babe." Chuck said.

"Yea Mom, it tasted really good." Shamia added.

"Thank you." Sarah said. "I'm just a little surprised I got Emily and Levi to eat their carrots."

"Did you notice anything about dinner tonight Chuck?" Sarah asked coyly after while they were doing the dishes, the kids having gone to do some reading in the family room.

"Um" Chuck began, wondering if there was a catch. "That it was very good."

"Thanks for the compliment." Sarah smiled. "But that's not it."

"The kids ate all of their servings?" He tried again.

"No again." I'll just tell you, "Chuck, we had baby carrots, baby potatoes and lamb chops. Do you see a recurring theme?"

Chuck's eyes widened as he connected the dots. Baby. Baby. "Are you trying to say that you're -?" He asked, motioning to her stomach. Sarah smiled brightly, non-verbally answering chucks question. He lurched towards her, and lifted her up into his arms, twirling her around, his smile as bright as hers.

End flashback

**/\**

When he and Sarah had decided to try for a fourth baby, he was hoping for a boy, but when they went for the first ultra sound, they were surprised when the sonographer pointed out two babies. And no, he did not faint; fainting was reserved for the delivery room when Sarah threatened his manhood in thirteen different languages.

After his trip down memory lane, Chuck placed kisses on each of his youngest children's foreheads, before leaving their room. Chuck tiptoed into his bedroom, careful not to disturb Sarah. He slipped into the bathroom, washed his face and brushed his teeth, before getting into bed. Sarah inched closer to his warmth, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her. Chuck smiled. He was looking forward to spending time with Sarah and the children. He was going to take them to the beach tomorrow. It had been far too long since they had been to the beach. Yes it was difficult to find time to spend with all of them sometimes, and work was usually demanding. But he and Sarah had made a promise to themselves and to each other, never to let anything come before their family and so, they had maintained a balance between family and careers. He was sure that Sarah especially would be glad, as she hadn't been surfing in a while, and since she wasn't feeling well lately, a sea bath should do her just fine.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading. Feel free to review, even if it's as a guest.<strong>

** I did some major editing and tweaking and the story is now 21,000+ so I will probably have to split it into four parts, rather than three as I had planned. That being said, the remaining parts will probably be longer than these two, especially the last one.**

**Oh, and it's the climax of Crop Over and I'm excited, so I may not have time post in the next two/three days, but I'll try my best. **

**And yes, Chuck will found out next chapter, I just wanted to explore a bit of Sarah's previous pregnancies announcements. **

**Since y'all are so wonderful, I'm gonna do something I've never done before...*drum roll please* Here's a preview:**

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

**Sarah took a deep breath. "I've been thinking of a way to say it, but none of them seemed good enough, so I'm just going to come on out and say it."I'm pregnant." She breathed. _There, I finally said it_.**

**"You're what?"**

**"I'm pregnant." Sarah repeated.**

**/**

**"But you're so old!"**

**/\/\/\/\/\/\**

**Intrigued? Good! Until next time...**

**~xoxo. Barbadiangirl.**


	7. Full House (Part Trois)

**AN: Hey everyone, I was able to have this one finished earlier than I expected and decided to post early since we are expecting bad weather (it's hurricane season) and I didn't want the internet to go down and leave you guys waiting,**

** It's a bank holiday here in Barbados and in the other Caribbean countries which were under British rule. Today is Emancipation Day (slavery was put to an "end" in 1834. I put that in " " because there was still an apprenticeship period, so the slaves weren't completely free until 1838.) For the guest that asked about Crop Over, it's our major cultural festival. Historically, it was a time of great celebration by the slaves after the end of the sugar crop season (hence the name). It was re-born in 1974, so this year, we are celebrating the 40th anniversary. Crop Over is practically synonymous with calypso music, costumes, revelry and a lot of fun.**

**Enough of my history lesson and cultural exchange, let's get on to the story.**

**Thanks for your support so far, it is truly appreciated.**

**Full House (Part 3): Words:7,380**

* * *

><p><span><strong>~0/~**

**Saturday, March 7th 2026**

"Mommy!" Sarah heard two voices yell after they opened the door and popped their heads in. Sarah turned her head to the source of her interruption from her attempt at sleeping in. She kept her eyes, closed, relishing in the warmth of the covers as she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. When Sarah opened her eyes, she was met by two pairs of chestnut brown eyes looking at her expectantly.

"Good morning you two." Sarah said as she stretched and propped up against the headboard, noticing that Chuck's side of the bed was empty.

"Morning Mommy." They replied in unison and climbed into bed with her.

"Now what did I tell you guys about knocking before you enter a room?"

They looked at each other, before the older of the two; Levi spoke up, "You said that we should knock."

"Exactly. And did either of you knock before you entered?" Sarah asked them.

This time Lisa spoke up, "But Mommy, you said that we **should** knock, not that we **have** to." She quipped and her twin nodded in agreement.

Sarah fought down the smile at their likeness to their father. "OK Mr. and Ms. Smarty Pants." Sarah said and ruffled both Levi's and Lisa's dirty blond hair. "When the door is closed, you **have** to knock before you enter a room," Sarah said, making sure there was no room for another interpretation.

"Ok Mommy." They mumbled.

"Where's your father?" Sarah asked them.

Levi shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. We woke up and CJ and Emily and Shamia were downstairs. "

"Daddy wasn't here though." Lisa added.

Sarah frowned. She was really hoping to talk to Chuck soon. "Ok, well come on. Let's go see what your brother and sisters are doing and then I'll make some breakfast." Sarah said and pulled the covers off of her. The twins followed suit and got off the bed.

"Can we have pancakes?" Levi asked, his eyes lighting up at the thought.

"Sure. I think we have all the ingredients."

"Are we going to make blueberry pancakes? Or chocolate chip? Or the normal ones?" Lisa persisted.

"We can decide that when we get downstairs." Sarah told them while she wrapped her robe around her sleepwear.

"Mommy, Mommy! Look!" Levi said stopping her from making her journey to the bathroom.

"What is it?"

"We got dressed all by ourselves." Lisa said proudly as the twins twirled in front of her to show off their outfits.

Sarah took in the curly-haired four year olds before her, her eyes roaming from head to toe. Levi was wearing his Justice League swim trunks, a white Star Wars T-Shirt with Chewie on the front, white socks which came to his knees and his pair of red converse. Lisa on the other hand, was wearing her Rapunzel costume from last Halloween, and a pair of brown slippers. "I can see that." Sarah said. _I don't even want to know how she found that costume._

"So Mommy, how do we look?"

"Your outfits are..um, interesting. Very colourful." Sarah said.

The twins smiled at the compliment. "Thanks Mommy." Lisa said.

"See, I told CJ we could get dressed on our own." Levi added.

"Yea!" Lisa joined in. "That means we're big now. So CJ shouldn't treat us like babies anymore."

Sarah chuckled at their attempts to be independent and assert their supposed maturity to their brother. "Did you guys actually shower first?"

They both shook their heads no, and for that, Sarah was thankful. It was one thing to have your four-year olds attempt to dress themselves but she didn't want them in the bathtub unattended. "Ok, good. Let me use the bathroom first, and I'll join you guys downstairs."

"Ok Mommy." Levi said and tugged his sister along out of the room.

Sarah was glad she got the twins to leave, as she felt the herbal tea from last night making its way back up. She rushed into the bathroom and heaved into the toilet bowl. When the morning sickness seemed to pass, Sarah sat on the floor and leant against the bathtub.

"Mommy," she heard a small voice cry out and opened her eyes to see Lisa standing in front of her, her Smurfette stuffed toy in hand. "Mommy sick?" She asked and sat next to her mother on the floor. "Please don't be sick Mommy." She said and pulled some stray hair from Sarah's face.

"Baby, Mommy's OK." Sarah said as she got up. She noticed Lisa had tears and uncertainty in her eyes. Sarah bent down and hoisted her on her hip. "Hey, don't cry. Mommy's OK. I'm not sick."

"Pinky promise?" She asked holding out her finger.

"Yes, pinky promise." Sarah said and locked her little finger with her daughter's and placed a kiss on her temple.

Sarah set her down to her feet and washed her face before brushing her teeth. Lisa was still watching her every move.

"But if you're not sick, then why are you throwing up Mommy?" The little girl asked.

Sarah brushed her teeth and gargled with mouthwash before turning to face her daughter. She then took her hand and led her out of the bathroom and into the adjoining bedroom. They both sat on the bed, facing each other. "Sweetie, you know sometimes you eat too much and then you get a tummy ache?" Lisa nodded. "Well, that's probably what happened to Mommy, and my body is just trying to get rid of it". _So that was a little white lie..._

"Oh OK, Mommy." The little girl said, a toothy smile, which showed her bucked front teeth finally gracing her pretty face.

"Don't worry about me. Mommy's just fine." Sarah said.

**/\**

Sarah and Lisa entered the kitchen and Sarah immediately groaned at the sight. Their kitchen looked like if a food bomb had gone off. Their dog, Chazzie whom they had adopted a week ago, was on the floor lapping at some spilled milk. Her eyes roamed from one of her children to the next. Levi was on the floor, still dressed in his outfit from before minus the Converse, with a colouring book in front of him, and crayons sprawled over the floor and was helping himself to a bowl of strawberries, the juice from the fruit dripping on his clothes and staining them. She then looked at her eldest, he was covered in what she assumed to be flour, and his brown hair was practically unrecognizable. Shamia was working on extracting orange juice from some oranges which were on the counter. And Emily was apparently trying to crack some eggs, unfortunately most of the eggshells ended up in the bowl rather than in the trash. Sarah almost screamed.

"What on earth are you guys doing?" Sarah asked, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room. All five children looked at each other, deciding who should speak. The front door opened before CJ, who was selected as their spokesman began to speak. "None of you move." Sarah commanded before leaving the room,

"Hey baby." Chuck said when he saw Sarah walking towards him.

"Hey yourself." Sarah said and gave him a short kiss. "You went running." Sarah observed, taking in his attire. Chuck was wearing a grey V neck T-shirt and jogging pants which came to his knees and a pair of Nike sneakers.

"Yea, and I planned to be back earlier, but I was cornered into talking with two of the moms from the PTA at CJ's school. You know how some of those moms are."

"I missed you." Sarah pouted.

"I missed having you wake up in my arms too. But really, I hoped to be back before you guys woke up."

"It's OK." Sarah said. "I've got something to show you though." She said and pulled Chuck into the kitchen.

"What the-" Chuck said as he saw the mess in the kitchen. "What happened here?" He asked no one in particular.

"That's what I would like to know. The kids were just gonna explain before you got here." Sarah said, casting a pointed look at each of them. "Ok, talk."

"We were making, or should I say trying to make breakfast." CJ explained. "I was doing the pancakes, Emily was gonna crack the eggs and I'd scramble them, Shamia was gonna make the orange juice and Levi was supposed to take out fruits for the fruit salad. Lisa was supposed to distract you so we would have time to finish."

Sarah relaxed and smiled, "Though it didn't go as planned, this is very sweet of you guys. Now come on, let's clean up a bit and then all of us can work on breakfast."

"And after that, we need to pack a picnic basket, 'cause we're going to the beach." Chuck announced.

* * *

><p><span><strong>~0/~**

**Later that night**

_Maybe I could just put an eviction notice on one of the guest bedroom doors, and the date to be moved out would be the baby's due date. Or I could give him a card that reads 'It's all your fault' and in the inside, it could have congratulations, your swimmers won the race. Prize to be claimed in eight months. No...Ugh... I'm going to go insane with this..._

"Chuck," Sarah said as they were lying in bed, with him spooning her. "There's something we need to talk about." She continued and turned so that they were now facing each other.

"Ok." Chuck said. "I'm all ears." he noticed Sarah was a bit hesitant and continued. "So this chat...I mean, are we talking like a chit chat or a FDR fire side chat?"

"No, everything is fine." Sarah assured him. "It's just something I have to tell you."

"Okkkk," He drawled. "Is it a big deal?"

"No" she said not looking at him. "I mean maybe. Yes." _Of course it's a big deal; you're pregnant for crying out loud._ Chuck was looking at her questioningly, so she pulled her thoughts together. "Ok. I love you Chuck, that's the first thing. And I really love being with you, and I love our family."

"Ditto." He said beginning to get nervous.

Sarah took a deep breath. "I've wanted to tell you earlier, but I hardly had you to myself for more than a couple of minutes and then I was trying to find a creative way to say it, but...Now I'm just going to come on out and say it. "I'm pregnant." She breathed. _There, I finally said it._

Chuck did a double take, and Sarah felt his body tense. "You're what?" He asked, not even bothering to hide the surprise clearly infiltrating his voice.

"I'm pregnant." Sarah repeated and propped herself up against the headboard.

Chuck did the same. His face went slack, as he stared wide-eyed at nothing in particular in the room. Sarah watched him closely, waiting for him to say something, but it was like if Chuck was frozen or under some spell, she could barely tell he was breathing. Chuck let out a deep sigh, and opened his mouth to speak, but snapped it shut and gulped. Then he opened it again, this time with more success in speaking, "You said you're pregnant? As in we are going to have baby number six?" He asked her, his voice raspy and barely audible.

"Yes Chuck." Sarah said exasperatedly. She knew this was a shock, but she really needed to find out how Chuck felt about the news.

Chuck hopped from the bed and stood up. He wiped his forehead with his hand and began pacing the room. Sarah watched his every move intently. "Sarah! How on earth could you be pregnant?"

_OK, so maybe my Mom was wrong…Chuck doesn't seem to be happy about the baby._ "Well Chuck," Sarah began, as if she were talking to one of her smaller children. "When a man and woman get physically intimate, there is- " she stopped when Chuck shot her a dirty look that said 'really?' "Come on Chuck!" Sarah said beginning to grow agitated. _Yes this pregnancy was unexpected, but did Chuck really have to act like that?_ "It's not like I planned this." Sarah said and got out of bed, crossing the room so she could reach him. She came to stand in from of him and took his clammy hands in hers. "Chuck, I know you're in shock, but this baby is going to come whether you like it or not, and it's unfortunate if you don't want another baby, because I love him or her already and I am going to make sure they have the life he or she deserves." Sarah said with tears in her eyes as the horrid thought of Chuck not being happy about the pregnancy.

Chuck's hazel eyes snapped in anger and hurt at those words. "Sarah." Chuck said, his voice laden with emotion. "How can you say that? I'm sorry if the way I acted just now made you think I didn't want this baby. I was just overwhelmed. I don't care that this baby isn't planned for. We've got plenty of money to provide for all of the kids financially and even more importantly, more than enough love to support them emotionally." Chuck said and wiped her tears away. "I was just freaking out. I'm sorry. But you have to know that I love you and I love our family." Chuck said with conviction before leaning down to capture her lips in a kiss.

They both smiled when the kiss finished and climbed back into bed.

"When did you find out?"

"Yesterday when I went to the doctor." Sarah said, "And that reminds me, we have an appointment next week so we can hear the baby's heartbeat."

"I can't wait." Chuck said with a smile on his face as he remembered the previous times he had heard the other kid's heartbeats for the first time. "And who knows, this baby might finally even out the sexes in this house. We men have been outnumbered for far too long." Chuck joked.

"You do remember what happened last time when we tried to even things out and we ended up with twins." Sarah laughed.

"Yea, that was a big surprise." Chuck said as he stroked Sarah's back. "When do you want to tell the kids and the rest of the family?"

"I want to wait until I'm out of my first trimester." Sarah said, the words of her doctor about the risks and possible complications during late pregnancies still running through her mind. "Then we can tell everyone else. But my Mom knows, I told her yesterday." Sarah confessed.

"Oh, so that's what was going on when I came upstairs." Chuck commented.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you first. I just wasn't sure how to or how you would process the news."

"Hey, it's OK." Chuck assured her. "But what about you? Are you ok?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I know pregnancies after thirty-five are high risk."

"I admit I am worried about any possible complications I might have. But my doctor said I'm as healthy as a horse, so she doesn't think I'll have any major complications."

"And you're happy?"

"Yes Chuck, I'm very happy."

"Good. Cause that's all I ever wanted; for you to be happy."

"When I have you, the most gorgeous, caring, sweet, loving, charming and wonderful man as my husband in the entire world and such an amazing family, how could I not be?"

"Sweet? Gee thanks, for making me feel like I'm eight." Chuck joked.

Sarah smiled. "I love you Chuck."

"I love you too Sarah. Good night."

"Night." Sarah yawned and shifted slightly as Chuck wrapped his larger and warmer feet around Sarah's. She snuggled closer to Chuck, resting her head against his chest as the rhythmic comforting sound of his heart lulled her to sleep. When Chuck heard her breathing even out, he knew for sure she was asleep. And even though he was tired, considering that their day at the beach had been quite taxing on his energy levels, he could not fall asleep. His mind drifted back to their day at the beach and a huge smile formed across his face. They had played volleyball with the kids; with the boys against girls, then he and Sarah helped the twins build their sandcastles while the older children set up the picnic table for their lunch. After lunch, the girls had buried both him and CJ in the sand before they all went for a swim. It had been fun and they'd definitely have to do it more often.

Sarah's news kept ringing in his ears...They had another baby on the way and the thought actually made him quite happy. His family was the most important thing to him and he'd make sure he or she was just as loved and as comfortable as the other children. He stayed awake for another fifteen minutes, his mind bouncing from one miscellaneous thing to the next. Carefully, not wanting to disrupt Sarah's sleep, he moved his arm to hold her tighter and on impulse gave her a kiss on her head. The distinct smell of her coconut shampoo began to infiltrate his nose, helping him to fall into a pleasant sleep where dreams of their future filled his mind.

* * *

><p><span><strong>~0/~**

**Saturday, March 21st**

The sunlight began filtering through the golden curtains of the master bedroom, and Sarah tossed slightly in her sleep. A while later, Sarah sat up against the headboard and yawned. She'd been up for about ten minutes now, but was hoping to fall back to sleep. Looking over at her husband whose snores were slightly muffled by his pillow, she ran her fingers through his hair and smiled contentedly. Her hands then drifted to her slightly swollen stomach. "Morning baby." Sarah giggled softly. When Devon had been talking to Clara when Ellie was only three months, she'd found it strange for lack of a better word, but when she had first gotten pregnant, she found it actually felt quite nice and she had been doing it ever since. She rubbed her stomach slowly, thankful that the ultrasound earlier that week had gone well.

Flashback

Sarah sat on the examination table, swinging her legs. She looked over at Chuck, trying to gauge his mood. Her nerves were running high, as she was anxious to find out how well the baby was growing. They had heard the heartbeat three days after she told Chuck and her doctor had been satisfied that it was strong and steady. That had been a relief for both parents, but now, as Sarah waited on the sonographer to conduct the ultra-sound, some of her fears came rushing back. _Take a deep breath. I'm sure everything is OK. The doctor was pleased last week, so there's nothing to be worried about._ She looked at the diagrams on the wall, before resting her eyes on Chuck. He locked his eyes with her. He could tell she was nervous, so he smiled warmly at her and took her hand in his, squeezing it in an effort to calm her.

"Mr. and Mrs. Bartowski." An Asian lady who looked around fifty entered the room with a clipboard in hand. "I'm Dr. Patel, I'll be conducting the ultra-sound today." she introduced herself. They shook hands and got the pleasantries out of the way.

"Sarah, please lay down." Dr. Patel said. "The gel is going to be a little cold." she advised.

Sarah nodded; she had gotten pretty accustomed to it after all her previous ultra sounds. Sarah looked over at Chuck, who smiled at her, and she relaxed. As the transducer moved across her stomach and the image of her baby popped up, Sarah couldn't stop the few tears that pooled in her eyes. The moment was similar to when she had found that wedding dress in Castle, as the emotions once again hit her like a ton of bricks. They were having a baby. Chuck was mesmerized by the image of the baby on the screen and listened intently as the Dr. Patel explained what she was looking for and pointed out the different features of the baby. Having done this a couple of times, he was able to identify some of them on his own. When he felt Sarah's grip on his hand tighten, he turned his attention to her, and wiped the dears from her eyes. Chuck then gave her a kiss on the cheek. After finally checking the placenta, the umbilical cord and the amniotic fluid, the sonographer finished recording her notes and measurements of the baby.

"Everything looks good." She told the two parents. "The baby is progressing normally. I will forward my notes and measurements to Dr. Blackett."

"Thank you." Chuck said.

The doctor smiled at them. "You're welcome."

End flashback

**/\**

Sarah finished talking to the baby, before deciding to go have a shower. She slipped out of bed, and headed to the bathroom. Sarah stripped herself of her nightie and stepped into the shower. Turning on both faucets, she tested the water after a minute, making sure it was good enough for her. When she stepped under the warm stream of water, letting in run down the entire length of her body, Sarah slipped her eyes shut, just allowing her mind to go blank as the warm water soothed her. She enjoyed moments like this; the quiet ones when she got to be alone for a little while. Not that she didn't love her children, cause did she ever; she loved them fiercely and would hunt down anyone who ever tried to hurt them. (If you thought Giant Blond She-Male was bad, Giant Blond Mamma Bear was oh so much worse). In these quiet moments, she wasn't confronted by their frequent petty squabbles, during which she had to be the voice of reason, nor their whining when she and Chuck refused to let them have their own way. In a house with five children, peace and quiet was hard to come by, so when the opportunity did present itself, she took the time to relax and decompress.

In times like this, that she truly got some peace and quiet.

She took the shampoo from its place in the rack and palmed a generous amount before lathering her hair. She sighed softly; she had gotten accustomed to Chuck helping her wash her hair over the years. She loved the way his fingers would massage her scalp, as he was careful not to apply to much pressure...and of course, the majority of times, his fingers would wander and their shower would last way longer than she had originally intended. Sarah's cheeks flushed as her mind replayed some scenes from their romps in the shower and she quickly attempted to shake the thoughts from her mind, concentrating instead on rinsing the shampoo out.

Briefly, she contemplated stepping out of the shower and going to wake up Chuck so he could join her, but she knew he was probably tired from Movie night as they'd been up until 11:30, and then she had kept him up for a session of love making until her legs felt like Jell-O and they were both exhausted. And to top it all off, she had woken up at four with a craving for mangoes with salt. Chuck had insisted that he be the one to go get it, but Sarah protested and said that she could wait until daylight. He had argued that if she was craving, he would satisfy it. However, she kissed him hard and assured him it was fine. After she coaxed him, he finally agreed and hopped out of bed. Sarah was surprised when he left the room and waited upon his return. The thought that he did decide to go out crossed her mind, until she remembered he was only wearing his boxers. Still, she listened for the sound of his car roaring to life. Five minutes later, Chuck came back, carrying a cereal bowl in his hand and a bottle of water in the next. She smiled at him, when she saw that he had made her a fruit salad as a consolation for the mangoes until they could get some later.

Sarah smiled at the memory. Every day, she realised just how much of a gift Chuck was. He was so warm, so loving, extremely attentive and loyal. And she made sure she knew how much she cherished him; just as she'd promised in her wedding vows. After rinsing her hair the second time with the shampoo, Sarah returned it to its station and picked up the bottle of conditioner and worked a handful of it into her hair.

She saw a silhouette in the shower glass and for a brief moment was on alert. She relaxed when the shower door opened and saw it was Chuck. He smiled at her when he stepped in, and stood behind her, his hands resting loosely around her stomach, which had the beginnings of a small bump.

"Good morning." Chuck whispered in her ear before placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Good morning." Sarah said and turned in his arms.

"I missed waking up with you in my arms." Chuck told her, rubbing his hands along her arms.

Sarah smiled apologetically. "So did I, but I woke up early and thought I'd get an early start to the day."

Chuck nodded. "How are you feeling?"

"Quite good actually." Sarah smiled. "I haven't thrown up yet, so I guess the baby was satisfied with the fruit salad even if it didn't have in mangoes."

"Speaking of mangoes," Chuck began, a smile forming on his lips. "I've got some waiting for you downstairs."

"What? When did you have time to go for them/ where did they come from?"

"I went to the grocer this morning around five." Chuck explained. "And you know, she's Caribbean, and they eat a lot of mangoes there. Anyway, she helped me choose which types to buy. I've got the Julie; she said they are the sweetest in her opinion, the Pawee and the Long Mango. According to her, in the Caribbean, they usually eat the harder ones which aren't fully ripe with salt, so I bought some of those too."

Sarah looked at him while he was speaking. _How did I ever get so lucky? Chuck is amazing._ "Chuck thank you." She said earnestly.

"It was no biggie." Chuck downplayed it. "I told you, I'm going to do my best to make sure this pregnancy is as comfortable as possible, and if that means going out weird hours of the night or early in the morning to satisfy some craving, then so be it."

Sarah shook her head no. She could feel the tears pricking at her eyes, but thankfully, the water was still dripping on their bodies, so it would mask any that did fall. "That's not what I meant." She clarified. "Thanks for that too, but I really wanted to say thank you for everything. Before I met you, I didn't think I would ever fall in love with anyone, or love so fiercely."

Chuck tried to interrupt her, but she placed her forefinger on his lips. "Let me finish." Chuck nodded, droplets of water falling from his hair as he did so. "I want to thank you for loving me, for being so selfless and loving, and for giving me everything I've ever dreamed of...Our family, the kids, our home...I love it all, and I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"I love you." Chuck said. She would never get tired of hearing that because she knew he meant it from the bottom of his heart.

"And I love you too." She would never get tired of saying it either. After having said it the first time all those years ago, it now came naturally, but earnestly. Sarah closed the small gap between them and grabbed Chuck by the back of his head, bringing his lips to hers.

Chuck manoeuvred them, so that she was now pressed against the tiles, and had the presence of mind to turn off the water...Conserving water... Sarah's arms came around his back, hugging him closely, while he maintained a firm but gentle grip on her waist.

Sarah moaned softly when he began stroking her back, and his tongue caressed hers oh so softly, oh so torturously. When Chuck pulled away, a satisfied smile graced his face when he saw Sarah's hazy gaze and the desire in her eyes, but he had no doubt he was probably the same. Because yes, even after five, soon to be six children and fourteen years of marriage the passion and desire for each other was still there.

Sarah took him in, her eyes roaming from head to toe, and lingering on some areas more than others. The water rolled off of Chuck, from his brown hair down to his muscular chest and Sarah bit her tongue as a flame ignited inside of her. "The kids won't be up for about another hour and a half." Chuck told her and stepped closer to her. "And I have the perfect idea on how to pass the time." He smirked while wiggling his eyebrows. Sarah didn't trust her voice at the moment, so she smiled welcomingly at him.

An hour later, they emerged from the shower, clean and satisfied, with matching grins on their faces.

**/\**

Weekends, Saturdays especially were considered lazy days, as such, unless the family had pressing engagements, they would usually spend the day catching up on TV shows or movies, a trip either to the mall or supermarket and after lunch, Chuck and Sarah would help the kids with their homework while in the evening, they would go to the nearby park or visit their other family members.

Sarah and Chuck assembled their children into the living room after breakfast was over and the dishes had been taken care of. The kids sat down on the couch, while the oldest, CJ, was sitting on the arm rest.

"Ok guys, there's something your mother and I have to tell you." Chuck said.

"Before we do that Daddy." Emily spoke up. "There's something I need to tell you guys."

Sarah sighed, ready for the drama to begin. "What is it Emily?"

"CJ owes me five dollars for making up his bed since last week and he hasn't paid me yet." She accused, rising from her seat to stand in front of CJ.

"Hey! That's not true!" CJ defended, also standing up. He was much taller than her, and glared down at her.

"Yes it is." Her blue eyes flashing with anger.

"No it's not." He scowled.

"Yes it is." She insisted, glaring at her older brother.

Chuck leaned over to Sarah smiling. "She IS her mother's daughter" he whispered. "Oh so stubborn and insistent."

Sarah slowly turned her head and looked at Chuck...the same way Emily looked at CJ. The Death Stare. _Uh oh._

Chuck gulped and cleared his throat. "That's enough from the two of you." Chuck said interrupting their bickering.

"But Dad!" They whined. Chuck silenced them with a look.

"Mom!" They tried looking at Sarah, but she was having none of it and shook her head at both of them.

"Not a word for either of you." Sarah said sternly.

The two eldest children sat on the couch, their arms folded across their chests. "I'll give all of you guys five dollars. You can put it in your piggy banks. But in the future, make up your own beds; don't shirk the work off to someone else." Chuck said giving them pointed looks. "Are we clear?"

He got mutterings of 'Fine Daddy.' and 'Yea.' from the oldest three and two head nods from the twins even though they didn't make up their beds yet.

"Good. Now that that's settled. We have an announcement." Sarah said looking at Chuck and then back at her children. She took a deep breath. "You guys will be having a little brother or sister in a couple of months."

All of them were shocked, but CJ was the first to speak. "But you're so old!"

Sarah frowned slightly. They weren't that old, and besides, she and Chuck looked good for their age. They had managed to keep fit, a huge thanks to constantly running after their children and their couple workout sessions with Morgan, Alex, Ellie and Devon. During those sessions, either she or Devon took charge, with Devon placing a heavy emphasis on cardio.

"CJ, we are both thirty-eight. Lots of couples have had babies much later. The oldest woman to give birth according to some reports was seventy years old and according to the Guinness Book of World Records, sixty-six. I think we're pretty good."

He looked pensive at that moment before shrugging and said, "Well I hope it's a boy. Then l can teach him and Levi to play Call of Duty and League of Legends and go camping with Uncle Casey and all that stuff." He smiled.

"Well I hope it's a girl." Emily said glaring at her brother. "Then we can play dress up and go shopping with Auntie Carina and Zondra when they come to town."

"And have tea parties." Shamia commented.

"You guys won't do any of that stupid girly stuff with the baby." CJ said.

"Tea parties aren't stupid CJ." Shamia said offended.

"And neither is playing dress up." Emily piped up. "You're the one that's stupid!"

"And you're a moron." CJ rebutted.

"Hey!" Sarah interrupted their argument. "Time out. Stop it. Enough with the name calling. Emily, don't call your brother stupid and CJ, don't call her a moron."

"As a matter of fact," Chuck cut in, "if I hear anymore name-calling, there will be no going outside to play, no TV, video games or computer. Zero, zip, zilch, nada." He emphasized, making his point clear.

CJ huffed loudly; he'd already been on a ban for his last incident and did not want a repeat, so he kept his mouth shut. Emily however, muttered something under her breath, which Sarah thought sounded like whatever. "What was that young lady? I didn't quite catch it." Sarah said, daring her daughter to repeat.

Emily looked at the floor. "Nothing."

"Good. Now all three of you. Apologize to each other." That got them all talking at the same time.

"Aw Mom do I have to?" CJ asked.

"I didn't do anything!" Shamia argued.

"Why do I have to apologize to him?" Emily said stubbornly.

Through their legendary silent communication, Chuck quickly glanced at Sarah, and she noticed. _See, her mother's daughter. So stubborn._ Sarah laughed quietly. He was right, but she was not going to admit that. _Oh, you're going to get it, Mr. Bartowski._

The children were still whining but the stern looks their parents sent them shut them up immediately. "Sorry." They mumbled.

"Now the three of you go clean your rooms. They're beginning to look like pigsties." Sarah said. They knew better than to protest this time and left the room to head upstairs.

Chuck and Sarah then sat down on either side of the twins who had been quiet during their older siblings' outbursts. "So how do you guys feel about having a baby brother or sister?" Chuck asked them.

"I think it'll be fun." Lisa said. "And I won't be the baby of the family anymore." she said happily.

"And what about you Levi, are you excited about having a baby sibling?"

He nodded, "Uh huh, and then I can teach him to count and his ABCs and how to ride a tricycle."

"You'll have to do that when the baby is a bit older." Chuck said.

"But why do we have to wait for the baby to get here?" Levi asked.

"Well um" Chuck started and scratched the back of his head. He turned to Sarah for some guidance.

"Well...It uh...Um, it takes a while for the baby to grow and develop. Right now, the baby is inside Mommy's tummy and he or she is only the size of a penny. But they'll get bigger my tummy is gonna get big, like a pumpkin and then the baby will be born." Sarah said hoping that their children's curiosity was satisfied.

"The baby's in your belly Mommy?" Lisa said and she moved closer to her mother.

"Yes." Sarah said and lifted her shirt so the twins could see her stomach.

"But how did it get in there?" Lisa asked, looking from her mother's face and back to her stomach.

"Yea Mommy, "Levi added "Where did the baby come from?"

Chuck and Sarah looked at each other and then back to their children. They communicated silently. How do you explain where babies come from to five-year olds? You don't. You deflect and hope that it works.

"You know what?" Chuck said. "It's really hot and I'm thirsty. Who wants a Popsicle?"

The twins perked up at hearing that, their questions about the baby forgotten.

"I want one Daddy." Lisa said.

"Me too." Levi said.

They ran off into the kitchen, expecting their father to follow. Chuck rose from the couch and Sarah smiled at him. "Nice save." Now that they had told their children, it was soon time to tell their family.

* * *

><p><span><strong>~0/~**

**Sunday, March 22nd**

Dinner with the family always proved to be an interesting affair. With ten adults and nine kids, they usually decided to have dinner on the back porch as it was less constricted, and the weather was nice. Dessert had just been served and the kids were digging in, anxious to leave the table and go play. For Molly, Levi and Clara, this meant going inside for a couple rounds of Mario Kart, while the younger children would play with either the Lego set or Chuck and Sarah's dog or whatever toys caught their fancy. However, before they were able to disperse, Chuck announced that he wanted to take a family picture.

"Ok guys. Get ready." Chuck said as he set the timer on the camera and ran quickly over to where the group had assembled. "Everyone say cheese." He instructed, seconds before the camera flashed.

A chorus of cheeses erupted from the group. "Ok, one more. This time, everyone say Sarah's pregnant!" Chuck said.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the camera flashed, capturing everyone's reactions to the announcement.

"I can't wait to see that second photo." Chuck laughed.

After the initial shock of the news, everyone congratulated the expecting parents. Devon had declared that the news was awesome, and everyone agreed.

"Dude, this is great. It's like you guys have your own Brady Bunch, the Bartowski Bunch." Morgan said. "Hey Sarah, is there any chance that you'll legitimately consider our request to name at least one of your children Han or even Luke if it's a boy?" The look Sarah sent him let him know that was a no.

"I already tried that buddy. She still won't budge." Chuck said forlornly. "I guess having Emily's middle name be Leia and Lisa's be Serenity is enough."

Casey came up and patted Chuck on the shoulder. "Casey, you know your hands are the size of a bear's paw. Go easy on me." Chuck said.

"Well Bartowski, didn't know you still had it in ya." Casey said. "I'm surprised when you dipped your chocolate in Walker's peanut butter, it was able to make a sandwich. I thought your chocolate dried up a while back." Casey quipped with his usual grunt.

Chuck made a sour face. Casey's euphemisms for sexual activity were always so interesting. "Oh bite me Casey."

"Sorry kid. You're not my type. I'll leave that for Walker." Casey smirked and left to go get another beer from the fridge.

Ellie however, though she was extremely delighted at the announcement of having another nibbling, was concerned about Sarah's health. She had pulled Sarah away from everyone else and asked her about what the OB/GYN had said. "Ellie, we visited the doctor last week. She said everything is fine. I'm gaining enough weight, my blood pressure and blood sugar levels are in the normal range. And we also heard the baby's heartbeat and had an ultra sound. Everything's fine. She doesn't see any cause for concern. I should have a safe and successful pregnancy." Sarah assured her.

Ellie nodded, clearly relieved. "That's really good news. I'm happy for you."

"Thank you." Sarah said.

"There's so much we have to do though. We need to convert one of the two guest rooms into a nursery. We have to go sort through the old baby stuff in the attic so we'll know what to buy. We need to start buying furniture, clothes, books, stuffed animals, breast pump, nursing bras, and maternity clothes of course." Ellie rambled.

"Ellie, we do have a bit of time." Sarah said.

"Nonsense." Ellie dismissed her. "You and I both know that as you get further into the pregnancy you won't want to move, unless it's to go to the bathroom or for food. It's best to start early, that way, we can do piece by piece, instead of letting it creep up on us, and then you're in the delivery room and realise you don't have everything you would need."

"OK. OK." Sarah relented. "I'm available on Tuesday after work. We can go shopping then."

"Great." Ellie squealed, her amber eyes dancing with excitement.

"Auntie Sarah! Mommy!" Oliver, Ellie's six year old who had her hair but Devon's blue eyes came running up to them. "We're playing hide and seek, and I'm it. Have you seen anyone else?"

"I don't think that's how the game goes Oliver." Sarah said.

"Yea Oliver, you know you have to find the other people on your own."

"Ok, fine." He pouted and ran off to find the others.

"I'm going to get a soda." Ellie said. "Do you want one?"

"No thanks, I'm good." Sarah said. In fact, I'm great. Ellie nodded and left for the kitchen. Sarah looked around the room, as the noise from the children playing upstairs and their melodious laughter and the occassional shriek filtrated downstairs. Casey and Gertrude were giving Devon hunting tips (his latest interest), Mary and Emma were talking about the new baby and how big their grandchildren were getting and Morgan, Alex and Ellie were in a corner laughing at something he said.

Chuck walked over to her, a smile on his face the entire time. He came behind her and wrapped his hands around her waist. "Hey pretty lady."

"Hey."

"You OK?"

"Yes. Everything is perfect," Her question to Casey from years ago entered her mind:

**_"Did it change anything? Having a kid? Did your priorities change?_**

She could answer that question on her own. Yes it did change something, not everything, there were some things that would never change, like the irrevocable love she had for Chuck, in her opinion, their love grew stringer each day. But what did change was that she had a lot more love to give. Her priorities changed as well. The well-being and happiness of her family was her number one priority. And instead of jet-setting across the globe, and quelling revolutions with a fork, or interrogating moles, their days included getting the kids ready for school and making them breakfast, helping them with homework before dinner in the evening, reading bed time stories, tucking the younger children in to bed, watching movies with them, and stopping their squabbles from escalating. It didn't matter what they did, she found that she enjoyed each moment she spent with her family.

Now, her days would also include ensuring that her health and the baby's was well looked after. And in a couple of months it would also include messy diapers, breast feeding, sleepless nights and balancing a new baby with her other commitments. But she wasn't afraid or worried, Chuck would be by her side, the kids were excited and she had her family there for support, they would be just fine. Her life, though not having an ideal start, had turned out just fine. She was surrounded by love, and warmth and happiness and people who loved her. **S**_**he was living the life she only dreamed of.**_

* * *

><p><span><strong>~0/~**

**AN: Thanks so much for reading. Please read and review (even if it's as a guest) I'm working on another chapter which will be a sort of epilogue to this one. Hope you enjoyed this one.**

**Now, aren't you glad I eased your eyes and split it up rather than post a 20,000+ one-shot?**

**And yes, I teased you with that preview. :P I don't think Chuck would be that crazy to call Sarah old to her face.**

**Once again, thanks to _charahkids_ for his help. He really helped me a lot, especially with some of the dialogue for this chapter and the previous one. The discussion C&S had when they were trying for baby #4 is almost verbatim of what he sent me, as is some parts of the children bickering. Ck, you're the BEST. *mwah***

**Until next time,**

**xoxo ~ Barbadiangirl.**


	8. Hello Girls

**A/N: Hi everyone, I hope you all are fine. Thanks again to _charahkids_ for helping me out with this. I was thinking the epilogue to Full House I had mentioned in my last A/N would be around 9,000 words, but when I started to write it, it took on a mind of its own and is almost double that, so _ck_ suggested splitting it so it'll be split into three parts.**

**Chapter 8: 'Hello Girls' aka Full House: Epilogue (part 1) - 5,791 words**

* * *

><p><em>"I wanted to apologize...I could've been more sensitive before about your friendship with Morgan. It's just... It's difficult; I don't really have anyone in my life like that who cares about me."<em>

_"Yea you do.."_

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><p><strong><span>~0/~**

"Zondra, you were always such a stick in the mud." Carina complained to her friend. "Why are you insisting that we ring the god forsaken doorbell? Did I tell you about that time when I visited Walker in her hotel room?"

"No you didn't." Zondra exasperated as she made sure her bike was steady. Carina meanwhile locked her Porsche rental and activated the alarm system. The two ladies then made their way to the front door.

"Well let me fill you in. I waited for Walker in her hotel room, dressed in all black. When she was going into the bathroom, I decided to make my move, and she attacked me with a bar of soap, and actually got a good hit in." Carina recollected. "Anyway, that is how you announce your presence"

"Come on Carina, I'm sure Chuck and Sarah have got this place under surveillance, and quite possibly booby trapped. Now, if you want to climb up to the second floor and hop through a bathroom window, then be my guest. But if something happens, don't claim that I didn't warn you."

Carina thought about what her friend had said. They were valid points. Sure the large white seven bedroom house, two and a half bathroom with a red front door, black shutters, well-groomed lawn and white picket fence looked pretty unassuming, perfect for the suburban neighbourhood, but she knew better. Chuck and Sarah; though out of the spy game had the place well secured. There was a state of the art bunker room and base of operations, similar to those in the old Castle in the basement, just in case the need for one ever arose.

"I guess you're right," she unwilling admitted.

Zondra smiled. "I know I am."

"Just hurry up and ring the damn bell!" Carina scowled.

Zondra laughed. "No need to bring the claws out." She then rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer the door.

**/\**

**Meanwhile…**

Sarah waddled around the nursery, making a mental checklist of things they might have still needed. Ellie and Alex had organised the baby shower and she believed they had everything that was necessary. Still, one could never be too sure. She sat down in the rocking chair, and began singing to the baby in Polish softly. She looked around the nursery which was decorated in a really modern and creative way, proud of how it had all come together before picking up her pregnancy journal from the small foot stool beside her and began writing the date and how she was feeling...

Sarah looked up briefly from her writings and smiled as she took in the nursery. She and Chuck had had a difficult time on choosing the colour scheme for the nursery, but after receiving the input of their other children; they had gone with a jungle theme. They had painted the nursery light yellow a couple of weeks ago, and the kids, Emma and Molly had helped out. For the mural, which showed monkeys hanging from trees, giraffes and other wild animals, they had hired two professionals that the sales associate from the hardware store had gotten them into contact with.

Emma had then made the yellow curtains with green trimmings to go with it. After the twins moved in to their "big children" beds as they liked to call them at two-and-a half years old, they had given away their nursery furniture and most of the clothes to charity, save a few pieces that were Sarah's favourite so most of the things in the nursery were new. The new furniture they'd bought was also colour coordinated. The brown wooden crib which had a canopy stood in the corner of the room, away from the direct sunlight. The rocking chair was in another corner, and a large couch which sat a few stuffed animals was in the other was close to the window. The chest of drawers was already filled with lots of adorable baby clothes, most of which had been bought during her shopping trips with Ellie and the other females in her family and some other pieces which were given to them at the baby shower. The small walk in closet had clothes in larger sizes, boxes of diapers and wipes and other miscellaneous stuff for the baby that she and Chuck hadn't gotten to yet. There was also a bookcase, filled with lullaby books, nursery rhymes, and other various children's books. The latest edition of Honey Woodcomb's favourite baby dictionary however was missing from the shelves. One would assume that after all these years, and having five grandchildren thanks to Devon and her other two awesome sons, her gifts for babies or children in general would be more practical, but that assumption would be wrong. So much so, that Sarah wouldn't be surprised if the next time Honey and Woody decided to hop on the Red Eye, that there'd be a dictionary in her luggage.

The guys had helped Chuck with putting up the furniture and hanging up the few pictures on the wall. Of the photos lining the wall there was one of Chuck, with his head resting on Sarah's stomach and another was of their entire family with each member having one hand on her exposed stomach. Knowing Chuck, lots of pictures would be taken after the baby was born, so she was sure a couple more would go up after the birth. The only thing really missing that would make it complete; besides the baby of course was the engraved wooden name plate of the baby's name, but since she and Chuck still hadn't settled on a name, that would have to be done later.

When Sarah heard the doorbell ring, she took out her smartphone and went into the app which had the security features for the house. She then went into the live video feed and zoomed in to the camera which was concealed at the front of the house. When she saw the two feminine figures, her eyes widened in surprise. She definitely had not been expecting them. They looked a bit different since the last time they had video conferenced. The doorbell rang again and she pocketed her phone and head down stairs. _Time for them to be surprised..._

**/\**

"How do we even know Walker is home anyway?" Carina questioned.

"Her secretary said so when I called the office earlier." Zondra explained.

"Well she sure is taking her time...Unless of course..." Carina trailed off, her eyes taking a mischievous glint. "She and Chuckles decided to shirk the work and stay home for a day of wild, passionate, sex."

Zondra shook her head at Carina. "You're a real piece of work."

"Ah, but don't you love it." Carina teased. "Seriously though, it must be tough trying to find some alone time when you've got five kids running around the house." Carina said thoughtfully. "I wouldn't blame them if they're going at it like bunnies until the kids come home."

Just then, the door opened to reveal Sarah Bartowski whose right hand was resting on the top of her baby bump in a pair of maternity jeans and a purple button down shirt. "Hello girls." She smirked. Both of the ladies' eyes bulged out of their heads when they checked out Sarah and saw her stomach. "Are y'all just gonna stand there?" Sarah asked them in a Texas accent before laughing heartily at their surprise.

Shaking their heads slightly, they entered the foyer and closed the door behind them.

"Walker, you've been busy I see." Zondra commented before hugging her.

Sarah laughed lightly and rubbed her bulging stomach. "You could say that. And I told you, it's Bartowski."

"Yea, yea. That doesn't have the same ring to it though." Zondra said.

"Carina?" Sarah called out. "Are you just gonna stand there gawking at my stomach? Some people consider that very impolite and unnerving."

Carina's eyes snapped to Sarah's face. "Sorry." She apologised. "I just can't believe you kept this from us!" Carina then hugged Sarah lightly.

"Let's take this into the living room. My back is killing me and I really don't need to be standing unnecessarily at this point." Sarah said. "Can I get you guys anything?"

"How 'bout some tequila?" Carina asked.

**/\**

"Are you sure you don't have any tequila?" Carina probed before taking a sip of her water.

"For the third time Carina, no. We have water, tea, coffee, soda and there's some beer in the fridge. Oh, and juice. Lots of it. There's apple, orange, pineapple and fruit punch." Sarah said. "Casey's usually the one to bring around the hard liquor." The three ladies were now sitting in the living room catching up. "We have some wine though, if you'd prefer that."

"What kind?"

"We have a nice selection on the wine rack in the kitchen. The '86 Chateau Le Franc is a really nice one; it's a peppery Pinot."

"Is that the one with a stable on the label and a stork on the cork?" Zondra asked.

"No, I think it's the cork on the stork and a label on the stable isn't it?"

"That doesn't even make any sense." Sarah told Carina. "Zondra got it right. So do you want any?"

"Nah, I'll pass." Carina replied.

"Good. Besides, it's still too early to be drinking and with your history, I think it's best if you leave it out.

"Pfft! Walker." Carina shrugged. "It's happy hour somewhere in the world. And I have no idea what you are talking about considering my history."

"Albania, Brazil, Curaçao, Cyprus..." Zondra trailed off before chugging down her Grape Soda. To her surprise, it was actually quite good; she now understood Morgan's fondness of them. "Any of those ring a bell?"

"Oh please! A couple of minor incidents and you two never let me live it down." Carina frowned.

"Minor?" Sarah repeated incredulously.

"Carina, in one of those incidents, you started a bar fight, and it took four state police officers to tackle you from off that waitress who called you and I quote 'an even more pathetic version of a drugged out Lindsay Lohan.'

"The skank had it coming." Carina sucked her teeth. "It's not like you two were complete angels either." Carina shot back. "In Brazil you were quick to knock those two girls out for getting the mark up to their hotel room before we could make contact and they turned out to be MI6 agents. Graham had to cut through a lot of red tape."

The three friends laughed at that. After that incident, their superior had threatened to send them off to a research station in Antarctica or to a far out detention facility in the Middle East until mandatory retirement if they continued with such behaviour.

"So maybe we went a little too far." Zondra begrudgingly said. "But they had it coming. It was like they thought they had to teach us how to do our jobs properly. I'm sure they did that on purpose"

"Exactly! You could basically feel the smarminess radiating from off them." Sarah agreed, the laughter among them erupting again.

"Speaking of MI6, I remember that luscious MI6 agent Cole Barker. I met him a while back and there was chatter that you had a little fling with him, Walker. Care to share?" said Carina with a devilish smirk.

Sarah's eyes bulged out. Yep, Carina did it again. "CARINA! That was a mistake and I...I was vulnerable...an...and..."

"WHAT!" said Zondra covering her mouth; this was new information to her. "It's true? When?! How did this happen?! Where the hell was Chuck?!"

Sarah thought back when she had that heated kiss in Castle, only to discover later that Chuck saw it and it pained her. Yes, it was a mistake and it hurt her Chuck. Her heart still twinged with guilt and remorse whenever she thought about that part of their past.

Eight months after they had gotten together for real, and were a bit more comfortable in the relationship, they had talked about the whole mess, starting from him taking his backwards walk away from her at the train station in Prague up to the mistake of her trusting and getting close to Shaw. The discussion had been a bit difficult, as it brought back memories and feelings they would rather leave in the deep recesses of the past, but the underlying issues were too pivotal to be swept under the carpet. In the end, they had found that the talk was beneficial to their relationship and had forgiven each other and the guilt and anger they had still held begun to ebb away. Sarah had vowed that she would never, **ever** hurt the love of her life again. She'd rather die than to see his devastated face. No. Never again.

Carina saw Sarah's glassy eyes as she tried hard to hold back the tears. Carina now realized that it must've been a terrible episode **(or handful of god-awful episode****s****)** in Charah's life and she regretted teasing her friend like that.

"Nice move, Carina" said Zondra sarcastically before inclining her head towards Sarah and motioning for Carina to fix her mess.

Carina with glassy eyes of her own moved towards Sarah and placed her hand on Sarah's. Like Sarah, expressing her emotions had always been very difficult for her. Sure she could play men like fiddles, and have them do her bidding, but when it came to her real emotions, she had always felt like a fish out of water. After all, you couldn't get the name 'Cold-hearted Carina' from your team members by being a mellow person. '_Spies don't have feelings. Feelings get you killed.' _From the beginning of her career, she had believed that adage. but one look at Chuck and Sarah and hell even Casey and how they were with each other and the rest of their family had made her realize that feelings, emotions make you stronger and now she's let some of her walls down and needed to comfort and apologize to her best friend.

"Damn it." Carina said to herself. _The nerd changed my best friend...and me. Damn you Chuckles. _In a low voice, Carina said to Sarah: "Sarah...I...I'm so, so sorry. You know me, I always do this kind of thing and it was stupid of me to bring it up. I know things with Barker would've never worked out. I could tell that you were trying to bury your feelings for Chuck when I first came to Burbank...I admit, if I hadn't seen how different you were with Chuck, I would bet on my life that Barker would be the type of man you would go for...But Chuck is...well, he's Chuck. He's special. Please forgive me."

Sarah looked up with her red, puffy eyes to Carina and gave her a smile. Carina swung her arms around Sarah and she accepted. The two best friends hugged each other for a couple of minutes. Zondra was moved. Then again, this sort of emotional upheaval was the usual whenever they came to Burbank.

When the two best friends pulled away, they said a couple of things between each other in Polish and Swedish, a tradition they had begun during their days in the CAT Squad..

"Jag är ledsen." (I'm sorry.) Carina spoke in Swedish.

"Wybaczam ci." (I forgive you.) Sarah said in Polish.

"Du vet att jag älskar dig rätt?" (You know I love you, right?)

"Ja też cię kocham, nawet jeśli jesteś suka czasami." (I love you too, even if you are a bitch sometimes.)

Carina laughed at that and they wiped each other tears away. Everything was fine now.

"But come on, Zondra was totally the bitch. I don't think it's possible to out-bitch Zondra." Carina said cheekily.

"Carina! You're more of a bitch than I am!" Zondra defended.

"Language." Sarah cautioned. "Eardrums develop in week twelve."

"Walker! Come on! Not this again!" Carina whined. "The kid is not going to pop out with a fuc-" She stopped mid-sentence when Sarah glared at her. "With a frapping potty mouth." She amended.

"It's not my fault you've got the mouth of a truck driver Carina."

"That may be true, but at least cursing is not the only thing I'm good at using my mouth for." Carina said cheekily. Sarah shook her head good-naturedly at the blatant innuendo while Zondra laughed it off. Leave it to Carina to bring sex or sexual activity into almost any conversation.**  
><strong>

Carina looked at Zondra carefully and took in her appearance. Her eyes were definitely a little moist. "Were you crying, Zondra?"

Zondra, back in agent mode said: "No, Miller. Allergies."

"Uh, huh. Right Zondra."

"Sarah, don't you have a dog? I forgot that I'm allergic to them."

Sarah smiled, their dog, Chazzie wasn't even home as Chuck had taken him for a check-up that morning before he went to work. "I love you too, Zondra."

Zondra looked away and excused herself to the bathroom.

"Wow, Chuck power. He even got to Zondra." said Carina.

"Yep, that's my nerd" Sarah said and her heart swelled with pride.

Zondra came back from her bathroom break and sat with her best friends. "So how far along are you?"

"Thirty-seven weeks and two days" Sarah answered.

Carina nodded. "This is your last right? You're not going to be like that couple I saw on this reality TV show with eighteen kids or something like that are you?"

"Of course not. This is definitely our last. I have no intentions of going through this again. I think six kids is good enough, a bit more than we were originally thinking, but I think our family will be complete when he gets here."

"You know" Carina began, a finger on her chin, "I saw this documentary once where this lady gave birth to a ten pound baby vaginally and they had to stitch her up afterwards...It looked pretty awful."

Even though Sarah had read all about possible tearing during childbirth, that didn't mean she wanted to hear about it again. Thankfully, she hadn't needed any stitches after her other children and she hoped it would be the same after this one. "Well let's pray it doesn't come to that. Quite frankly, I can't wait for this pregnancy to be over." She frowned and cringed slightly when a muscle spasm shot through her back and lower stomach. Her hands instantly clutched her stomach and when it passed, she tried to school her expression. _Oh the many pains of pregnancy_...

Carina however had noticed her expression and was concerned. "You OK Sarah?" Carina asked.

"Yea." She breathed. "I'm fine. Just Braxton Hicks contractions. I've been having them on and off for the past couple of days, I guess he can't wait for the pregnancy to be over either."

"You're sure you're OK?" Zondra asked for clarification.

"I'm just peachy." She replied. They weren't completely convinced but decided to let it slide and maintain an eye on her.

"Carina? Why were you even watching documentaries on childbirth?" Zondra asked with vapid curiosity And Sarah was wondering the same thing.

"On this mission a while back, I had to get close to the mark's pregnant sister so we'd have someone who had actually been inside the compound and who could gather some more intel. So my cover was a doula, and obviously I had to make it seem like I knew what I was dealing with. Thankfully we were able to make the bust before she went into labour." Carina finished recounting her story.

"Oh OK." Zondra said satisfied. "When you mentioned you would have a surprise for us the next time we visited, I wasn't thinking anything along the lines of a new baby."

"Me either, I was thinking you guys changed the drapes or painted a room. Something mundane."

"Or even a new car." Zondra opined.

"We did change the drapes and painted the nursery too. The new car is still negotiable though." Sarah informed them. "But you guys made quite a few changes as well." Sarah said, looking pointedly at Zondra's newly cut wavy bob and Carina's half-shaven head.

Carina waved her off. "What? A new haircut? That's nothing compared to that." She said motioning to Sarah's stomach.

"True, but...I did tell you to visit more often."

"You know we would have, but we were under cover." Zondra explained. It was true. They loved any opportunity to stop by and visit the Bartowski clan and everyone else. For them, just like it had been for Sarah, Burbank presented a sense of normalcy; where they could just relax and be themselves and spend some time with their best friend and all the others. In fact, Burbank was where their family was.

"So, is it a boy or girl?" Carina asked, bringing back the focus to Sarah.

"A boy this time. The kids are really excited. CJ especially; he was beginning to get sick of all the so called 'girly stuff' he's surrounded by." Sarah said before taking a sip of her orange juice.

"Even the twins?" asked Carina. "They're not sad about not being the babies of the family anymore?"

"The twins are really, really excited, maybe even more so than me." Sarah laughed. Their excitement was contagious and they had been very pleased to be able to see their Mommy's stomach grow bigger as the baby developed. Chuck and Sarah had still continued to deflect their questions about how the baby got in her stomach in the first place, so the twins, left to their own devices, assumed it was something like magic as they had heard about in the fairy tales. Ever since they had seen Chuck talking to her belly, and found out that the baby could hear them, they made sure to talk to the baby at least twice a day. Sarah had joked to Chuck that her stomach was getting more chat time with her children than she was. "They can't wait for him to come." Thankfully, she and Chuck hadn't had to deal with any resentment towards the baby from their five children. That had been a point of worry for her, especially concerning the twins since they were the youngest and more reliant on their parents. She didn't want them thinking that the new baby would make her love them any less.

"That's good." Zondra said. "CJ and the girls still have that squabbling going on?"

"Same old same old. One of them says something, the other finds it offensive and the drama starts all over again." Sarah said shrugging. "The haircuts suit you. They make you both look younger."

"Are you calling us old, Walker?"

"Never!" Sarah replied, good-naturedly.

"Thanks for the compliment though." Zondra made an exaggerated motion of flipping her hair and tossing it to the side. "I wanted to change things up a bit."

"Same and it was either that or a nose ring. But after the ones we got when we were in the CAT Squad, I didn't think it'd be a good idea to have one again. That piercing hurt like hell."

The three shuddered slightly as they recalled the time when all four of them decided to get nose rings. "That time it was all Amy's idea."

At the mention of the traitor who had almost ruined their friendship forever, Zondra's eyes darkened. "How is that bitch anyway?" Sarah shot her a look of disapproval at her choice of words. Zondra rolled her eyes slightly before muttering an apology.

"Last I heard she's been rotting away in prison." Sarah told them.

"Serves the traitorous bastard right." Zondra growled.

"Anyway, how long are you guys in town for?" Sarah asked bringing them back to happier times.

"'I'm on vacation from the DEA. I hate to admit it, but somehow hunting down drug cartels around the world has lost some of its appeal."

Sarah snorted. "Don't tell me Carina Miller: DEA hotshot and a self-acclaimed mistress of seduction is tired of jet setting across the world. What about all the men?"

Carina shook her head. "No, guys. I'm serious, I'm actually considering retiring in a short while, if not entirely, then at least from field missions. Maybe just work in the office and possibly on the court cases, I do have a Law Degree like Sarah does, or helping to train new recruits." Carina said. "Wouldn't it be lovely not to get shot at?" She then took another sip of water.

"It would be. I'm sick of being shot at." Zondra agreed.

"Or getting shot?" Carina lamented. "I mean, you get shot a lot." Carina told Zondra.

"Yea, I do get shot a lot." Zondra agreed, her hand unconsciously drifting to her side where she'd been grazed with a bullet on her last mission. The pain from bullet wounds she could deal with, but she hated the periods during which she would have to recuperate. Thankfully, most of her gunshot wounds weren't anything major which had put her out of commission for lengthy periods of time, or she would've gone insane.

Sarah looked at her two friends before her; she never thought they would actually admit such things. They loved their jobs and the adrenaline rush and excitement that came with it. "I admit, it is nice not having to worry about being in the cross fire all the time." Sarah said. They all took another sip of their beverages. "So you guys are thinking about settling down?"

"Oh no Walker!" Carina said holding up her hand. "I'm not talking about 2.5 kids, white picket fence, the Golden Retriever and all that jazz."

"Exactly." Zondra corroborated. "We don't need to go the whole nine yards like you have. Just leaving field duty and enjoying life outside of the missions."

"Besides, you and Chuck have more than enough kids for the both of us. I'm satisfied with being Auntie Carina."

"And what about you Zondra?" Sarah asked. "Would you like children of your own?"

Zondra looked pensive for a moment. She had seen how different Sarah was with Chuck and their children and how much love was in their family. She did think having a family of her own would be nice. "I'm not totally opposed to the idea of kids." She admitted. "But I guess we will have to wait and see. And if all else fails, and I don't find a good guy to have a baby with, I could always adopt."

Sarah smiled brightly. "I'm sure that if either of you do act on those plans, you'd have nothing to worry about when it comes to finding a good guy. You're both still drop-dead gorgeous and Burbank has quite a few nice guys." Sarah said. "And I should know, after all, I married the best." She stuck her tongue out.

"No need to start showing off and bragging about how much of an amazing man Chuckles is Walker."

"OK. OK." Sarah relented. "You guys could live in Burbank." Sarah suggested. "Be close to all of us."

"That would be nice, but as we said, nothing is concrete as yet." Zondra said.

"I understand." Sarah told them. She knew from experience it was a huge decision to make, leaving a job behind that for a long time, had been the only thing you'd ever had. "And if that doesn't work out, you could always work with us at CI."

"Doing what exactly?" Zondra asked with interest.

"Being chief Googler?" Carina deadpanned.

"Actually, it'd be pretty much the same thing you're doing now." Sarah said. "There would still be field ops...Recovering stolen systems, breaching company's security to find their weak spots, stuff like that. When we create security systems for a client, we put them through rigorous testing. Usually, we get some of Gertrude's people to do it."

"Casey and Gertie are still together?" Carina asked.

"You know she hates when you call her that. And ever since you did, the twins have been calling her it too." Sarah laughed. "And yes they are. What? Did you expect them to break up between the last time you visited and now?"

Carina shrugged. "Not really. I'm just curious. Wanted to see if you guys had any more surprises in store. They're not getting married or anything are they?" Carina probed. If they did tie the knot, they'd probably honeymoon in the Middle East so some gunplay was involved.

"And is anyone else pregnant?"

"Nope, I think this is the only major thing you two were out of the loop on." Sarah said and rubbed her stomach. "Are you two going to consider what I've said?"

"When I make up my mind, you two will be the first to know."

"I guess even though Los Angeles has all the cultural panache of a porta-potty, Snoresville isn't so bad." Carina admitted.

"No it's not." Sarah agreed.

* * *

><p><strong><span>~0\~**

While they were talking, Sarah found their newest album and showed it to her two best friends.

"This is nice." Carina observed, looking at one of the recent shots from their photo shoot. She and Chuck along with all the kids had worn white, her outfit being a skirt and crop top so her belly could show. In one of the photos, the children had their hands on her stomach and were looking at the camera and smiling brightly. Then there were some with just her and Chuck, some by herself, the girls only, her and the boys, and a few with Emma, Mary and Molly who had joined them.

Turning the page, they came upon a large group shot which had all the other members of the extended Bartowski family. Zondra traced each of their faces, a small sad smile on her face. Sarah noticed it and said, "We took those a couple of weeks ago. But don't worry, after the baby is born, Chuck and I plan to do another photo shoot. I'll let you guys know when."

"OK. Great." Zondra smiled.

"Are you sure you're not up for some shopping?" Carina asked Sarah for the nth time. "A baby can never have too many clothes."

"Especially since they grow up so fast." Zondra added.

"Exactly!" Carina enthused. "And maybe we can even stop by Victoria's Secret and get something for after you deliver this baby and you and Chuck are trying to get back on the saddle." Carina finished with a salacious wink.

Sarah shook her head no. She got up from the couch and motioned for the others to follow. "I'm really tired today."

"We can always go tomorrow." Zondra said. "Maybe after the girls come home from school, then they can go with us."

"Good idea Z." Carina agreed. "They've really got a good fashion sense...Mostly due to my influence of course."

"Of course." Zondra agreed dryly.

"I am a bit surprised that Chuckles left you here all alone, especially since you're so far in to the pregnancy."

"You do look like you're ready to pop." Zondra added, looking at Sarah's stomach.

"Don't remind me." Sarah groaned. "My feet are the size of tree trunks and I look like a beach whale.. At least I'm not as huge as when I was pregnant with the twins. Chuck's actually on paternity leave with me. And even so, being the boss, you can do whatever you want." Sarah said. "He had a really important meeting today, it's a contract we've been working on for the past couple of months and I wanted him to see it through. Besides, I'm pretty safe here. We have a security system that I helped Chuck to design. It's got ammonia sensors around the house, so we can monitor if it's an animal or a human approaching based on the concentration of ammonium on their body, thermal sensors, pin hole cameras, constant surveillance of the whole house and facial recognition program around the neighbourhood which is tapped into the local police, FBI, CIA, DEA and other law enforcement databases."

Zondra cast Carina a look which said, 'Told ya so!' "Damn, you've got this place like it's Area 51."

"I know it may seem a little extreme, but truth is we'd do anything to make sure our family is safe, and if that means some extra security features, then so be it. You never know when someone might get the stupid idea to hurt our family; that'd be kie signing their death wish. "We'd rather be prepared and safe than regret it if something was to happen." With some help from Zondra, she was able to get up from the couch.

"Come on. Let's go upstairs; I want to show you two the nursery." Just then, another back pain ran through her and she doubled over, clutching the arm of the couch for support. "Oww!" She cried out. Before attempting to level out her breathing.

"Christ Walker! You're definitely not OK." Zondra shouted.

"Come on; let's get you to the hospital." Carina said, already searching her handbag for her keys.

_OK, maybe it wasn't Braxton Hicks after all._ "Ok, guys, don't freak out." Sarah said calmly. "But I'm pretty sure that I'm going into labour." Sarah felt a sudden pressure in her lower abdomen, before a small gush of water soaked her pants and trickled down to the carpeted floor. Yup, definitely going into labour.

Carina nearly fainted.

**/\**

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><p><strong>AN#2: Shorter than what you might have come accustomed to and kind of bad of me to end it like that? I know.. I'm not feeling 100% and wanted to put so etching out here. Don't worry though...I hope to have the second part up in a couple of days once I feel better.**

**Feel free to leave a review (even as a guest). Placing the story on alert and fovouriting it is also much appreciated.**

**One last thing, August 15th marked the 100th anniversary of the official opening of the Panama Canal. Whohooooo! I just wanted to acknowledge such an amazing feat. Not only did that Canal bridge the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but it was also a bridge between poverty and social advancement for many Barbadian immigrants and a lot of other Immigrants who left their homes to go work in Panama and repatriated their money.**

**Until next time,**

**xoxoxo**

**~Bg. 21/08/14**


	9. Labour, Delivery and Afterwards

**A/N#1: **Thanks a million for the positive responses. Here's the next chapter up, thanks once again to **_charahkids_** for his invaluable help on these chapters, he's amazing...Truly, he is a beta, a counsellor, and a friend with an amazing sense of humour wrapped up in one. :)

A bit later than I intended...I apoloqize, but as they say "Good things come to those who wait." And I think this is a good chapter; or maybe I'm a tad over-confident in my writing abilities. *shrugs*

**Here's Chapter 9: Labour, Delivery and Afterwards (aka Full House: Epilogue part two). Words: 8966**

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><p><strong><em>Previously : <em>**_OK, maybe it wasn't Braxton Hicks after all._ "Ok, guys, don't freak out." Sarah said calmly. "But I'm pretty sure that I'm going into labour." Sarah felt a sudden pressure in her lower abdomen, before a small gush of water soaked her pants and trickled down to the carpeted floor. Yup, definitely going into labour.

Carina nearly fainted.

* * *

><p><strong>~0/~**

"Oh shit! I did not sign up for this. This isn't how I thought my vacation would start…I was thinking we'd take you out to dinner, maybe a club, do some shopping and maybe some surfing this weekend." Carina rambled.

Zondra smacked Carina upside her head lightly in an attempt to get her to stop ranting.

"Well, I'm oh so sorry your plans got ruined Carina." Sarah said sarcastically through gritted teeth. "Forgive me if my child is ready to enter the world. You can take the matter up with your newest Godchild when he enters the world and teach him the value of arriving on time."

"I get to be God-mother of this baby too?" Carina asked, unable to stop the smile that had been tugging at her lips.

Sarah smiled. "Chuck and I discussed it. We figured it's not a bad thing having the kids share godparents. That means you too Zondra. Obviously neither of you has to accept...not if you don't want to..."

"Are you kidding?!" Carina asked her. "We'd love to. Right Zondra?"

"Yes, of course. So let's start our God-mother duties by making sure we get Sarah to the hospital safely and quickly." Zondra told her.

Sarah shook her head no. "Wait, the contractions aren't that close yet. I'm gonna take a quick shower. Can one of you call Chuck?"

"Are you sure you can get in the shower?' Carina asked.

Sarah sent her a withering glance. "I may be the size of a bus, but believe it or not, yes I can."

"No, that's not what I meant." Carina clarified. "I mean, you looked like you were in pain and all…Can you manage?"

Sarah's gaze softened. "Yea. I'll be fine."

"Ok." Carina said. The two friends then helped Sarah to make her way up the stairs.

"The two of you don't need to watch my every move." Sarah told them. "I have done this a couple of times before." She reminded them but her words fell on deaf ears.

Though Sarah tried to assure them that she would be fine alone in the shower, Carina followed her into the bathroom anyway in case she needed help. Meanwhile, Zondra picked out an outfit for Sarah to change in to. She knew it should be something that she could easily slip into, so Zondra rummaged through the drawers and walk-in closet until she found something suitable. She laid out a pink floral print dress which had elastic in the waist and underwear on the bed for Sarah, before walking over to the bathroom. She knocked softly on the door and peeped in.

Sarah was out of the shower and wrapped in a white towel, but was now bending over, holding onto the sink banister for support. Carina was providing what support she could by rubbing her back and whispering something to her. Whatever it was, it got Sarah to laugh softly before another flash of pain rippled through her, causing her to cringe.

"I put some clothes out for you Sarah." She announced. "Carina, can you help her get dressed?"

"Um yea, sure."

Sarah smiled in appreciation at the both of them. "Thanks you two. You're the best."

"No problem." Carina spoke for the both of them as she led Sarah into the bedroom. Zondra then left to go call Chuck, Emma and Mary.

After being a part of the CAT Squad for so many years and great friends for so long, there wasn't the slightest hint of awkwardness as Carina helped Sarah get dressed.

"I'm surprised you didn't make a comment about how big my boobs have gotten." Sarah told Carina.

"I was thinking it actually." Carina laughed as she clasped Sarah's bra at the back. "But for your sake, I hope this baby doesn't suck you dry and leave them reaching your knees. I'm not sure Chuckie would enjoy them as much...Fun bags are no fun if they're sagging."

"And you would know all about sagging Carina." Sarah retorted. "You're hitting what? Forty-two?"

"Don't you know it's impolite to reveal a lady's age?" Carina chided. "No problems there Walker. My bikini body is still banging." Carina said attempting to keep the mood light.

Sarah was about to make another retort, when she felt the baby squirm. "I know, I know. You're anxious to come out." she said looking at her stomach.

"OK," Zondra said upon re-entering the room. "I called Chuck, he was still in the meeting but he's on his way to the hospital as we speak. He wanted to come get you, but I told him since we were already here, it didn't make sense. Your Mom and Mary said they will meet us at the hospital."

"OK, OK. Good." Sarah said as she pulled the dress over her head. "Carina, can you get me my slippers from in the closet please?"

When Carina brought them over to her, she slipped them on. "OK, time for you to go have a baby."

"Where's your hospital bag?" Zondra asked.

"It's downstairs."

"Well come along, let's get you to the hospital."

When they reached downstairs, Carina accidentally stepped into the puddle where Sarah's water had broken. "Oh fuck!" Sarah shot her a look of disapproval, but then grabbed her hand when the contraction hit her, her face contorting in pain.

"Zondra, hurry and get that bag. Walker's gonna breaking my freaking hand if we don't get her to the hospital soon." Carina complained.

"Sarah? Where is the bag?"

"It's in the coat closet."

Zondra ran off to get it. "Carina, could you please go get my bottle of water from the fridge for me?"

"Sure."

Left alone, Sarah waddled over to the couch and sat down.

"Come on Walker, we need to get moving. I'd prefer not to have to help you deliver this baby, let's leave that to the professionals." Carina commanded as she came back bottle in hand and her phone in the other. With some effort, she managed to help Sarah get up from the couch. "I've set my stopwatch so we can monitor how far apart your contractions are."

"Good thinking Carina." Zondra complimented when she came back, wheeling the small suitcase behind her.

"You know what? I'm actually quite surprised by how well you guys are handling this." Sarah said as they ushered her outside.

**/\**

_Oh god I spoke too soon._

"Damn it Walker!" Carina screamed as another contraction hit. "Zondra! You really need to step on it! She's going to have my hand permanently deformed by the time we get to Westside."

Zondra cast a glance to the two occupants in the back. Sarah was lying down, her hair clinging to her forehead, and teeth gritted as she rode out the contraction, while Carina was scared out of her wits and was also sweating.

"I'm actually sweating!" Carina complained before wiping said perspiration in her blouse, it wasn't lady-like she knew, and her mother, God rest her in her grave would've had a fit if she'd seen her do it, but things such as looking for a washcloth or tissue seemed trivial. "The last time I sweat there was gun fire involved." Carina continued.

"Just try to remain calm." Zondra told them.

"Calm?" Sarah snapped. "You're not the one who has another human being trying to claw his way out of your vagina. I swear Zondra, if you don't get me to the hospital soon, there will be hell to pay."

"Just breathe in and out Sarah." Carina said, doing exaggerated breathing patterns of her own. For Carina, the sight of pregnant women on TV doing those intense breathing exercises was always a bit odd. Now that she was in this position however, she would do and say pretty much anything in order to help Sarah remain calm, and if the humming, the loud exhales and warrior-like facial expressions were supposed to help then she would do it too.

"We will be there soon." Zondra promised, focusing on the road ahead. "Oh no! You have got to be kidding me!"

"Oh no what?" Both ladies in the back asked.

"Um, there's a road block ahead, police are diverting traffic. We are going to have to take another route."

Sarah growled. "Zondra, this is the fasted way to Westside Medical."

"I'll see what I can do." Zondra told them before hopping out of the vehicle. When she slammed the door shut, it muffled the sounds of Sarah's and Carina's heavy breathing.

Zondra walked over to one of the officers. "Excuse me Sir, but I'm going to need access to this road."

"I'm sorry Ma'am, but I can't do that. You will have to do like everyone else and divert."

"No, no, no. You don't understand. You will give me access to this road." Zondra said sternly. She then fished into her pocket and pulled out her CIA credentials. "Agent Zondra Rizzo, CIA, and I need access to this road."

The officer however wasn't fazed. "Typical CIA, always feel they can make us local police do whatever they want. The CIA doesn't have jurisdiction on US soil, so like I said before, divert like everyone else."

Zondra bristled at that and her nostrils flared. "You don't understand, I've got a pregn-"

By now, their heated discussion had drawn the attention of the two other policemen and they congregated around the two. "Problem here Randy?" One of them interrupted her.

Zondra was beginning to grow agitated, and reached for her gun from the back of her pants. She briefly contemplated what would be the consequences if she did pull her gun on the local policemen. Sure her superior would be pissed and there would probably have to cut through a lot of red tape, but she could probably spin her way out of it. She respected local law enforcement, really she did; but right now, needed to get Sarah to the hospital quickly and she'd be damned if they stopped her from doing so. Carina came up behind her and tapped three times on her back, letting her know to stay put.

"Gentlemen, I believe someone on the phone wants to talk to you." Carina announced, holding up her phone and ignoring the dirty looks the policemen sent her.

The first officer Zondra had spoken to, Randy took the phone from her. "Hello?"

"Officer, my name is Charles Bartowski and right now my wife is in labour. Your refusal to let her friends pass through is delaying her arrival at the hospital and quite frankly it's making me angry. It's in your best interest not to make me angry. I have connections with the CIA, FBI, DEA, Homeland Security, you name it, and if you don't let their vehicle through, I swear you will spend the rest of your life scrubbing toilets in some godforsaken holding facility in Serbia. Do we understand each other?"

During the conversation, the officer's eyes had widened considerably. He nodded at first, but upon realizing that the caller on the other end couldn't see his non-verbal communication, promptly answered "Yes Sir.'

He handed back the phone to Zondra, as Carina had returned to the car with Sarah. "Ma'am I apologize for the inconvenience." Zondra nodded. "I think it would be remiss of me if I didn't escort you to the hospital in order to make sure your friend arrives safely." He said, ignoring the questioning looks from his fellow officers. He'd explain to them later.

Zondra nodded and headed back to the minivan, while Randy hopped on his motor bike and turned the sirens on. _Nice work Chuck._

* * *

><p><strong><span>~0\~**

When they arrived at the hospital, Chuck was already there, waiting anxiously at the entrance, along with Sarah's OB/GYN and an orderly who stood with a wheelchair. Chuck and the orderly ran up to the vehicle and helped Sarah to exit, before leading her to the wheelchair and wheeled her into the hospital, Chuck and the doctor on either side of her. Carina and Zondra meanwhile went to park the minivan.

"Hey honey." Chuck greeted her. "How are you feeling?"

Sarah growled loudly. "I swear to God Chuck, if you ever touch me again, I will conduct a vasectomy with one of my throwing knives."

Chuck gulped loudly, Sarah in labour and her threats were always interesting. Though he knew Sarah was unlikely to follow through on her threats, he did prefer when she decided to speak said threats in a foreign language he wasn't fluent in as it abated his nerves quite a bit. Dr. Blackett laughed softly. "I see this one couldn't wait Sarah for the full forty weeks."

"And at this moment neither can I."

"How far apart were your contractions?"

"Um, I'm not sure. I've had about three in about the last twenty minutes it took us to get here."

"And how strong have they been?"

"On a scale of one to ten, I'd say four. They haven't been extremely painful and the longest so far one lasted around twenty-five seconds."

The doctor nodded and noted it in her file. Since the contractions were not that close together, nor lasting for more than a minute yet, it was reasonable to assume that there was still some time until she was ready to deliver. After stepping out of the lift, they finally came to the private birthing suite on the fourth floor which Chuck and Sarah had reserved. Chuck and the orderly then helped Sarah to get up from the wheelchair. They thanked him and he nodded before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Ok, Chuck, I'll leave you now to help Sarah change in to the gown, and I'll send in a nurse to check in periodically. She will be assisting with the delivery and will check your dilation. I have to go check on another patient, but she will come get me if it's necessary." The Doctor then left the couple to settle in.

Emma and Mary arrived at the hospital around the same time, and were greeted at the main entrance by Zondra and Carina. Together, the four made their way up to Sarah's suite.

"Chuck!" They heard Sarah scream, presumably as another contraction hit her. "I'm gonna borrow one of Casey's or Gertrude's rifles and I will shoot it off." Outside the room, the ladies tried to contain their laughter, but failed miserably.

"Walker always had a way with her threats." Zondra commented as she recollected some of their missions where they had to use various enhanced interrogation techniques to get information from the marks.

"True." Carina agreed. 'Like that one time she threatened that mercenary to rip his tongue out and shove it down his throat if he didn't tell her exactly what she wanted to know."

"Oh! I remember that. It's not a good feeling being on the receiving end of Walker's rage."

They grimaced before laughing again as they all knew the feeling from past experiences. Emma knocked on the door and the ladies filed in one after the other. Inside, they found Sarah sitting on the bed in the hospital gown, while Chuck was holding her hand, helping her to ride through the contraction and mumbling something in her ear. The two mothers exchanged greetings with their children.

"Mom, you came." Sarah smiled at both her and Mary.

"Did you think we would miss the birth of our newest grandchild?" Mary asked rhetorically, referring to both her and Emma. Mary wouldn't have missed this birth, not for the world. Her children had always been her number one priority and it had pained her to not be in their lives. She wasn't going to miss any more important activities in their lives or that of her grandchildren.

Emma walked over to her daughter and wiped her forehead with a damp washcloth. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good. Better now that all of you are here." Over the years, Emma and Mary had become good friends and Sarah was happy about that. She was even more so happy because she and Mary hadn't had any major clashes, a few disagreements here and there, but not anything like the full-blown stereotypes she'd heard about impossible mothers-in-laws. They had definitely come a long way from pointing guns at each other when they first met with Chuck having to play the part of intercessor and begging them not to kill each other. Mary's advice and support and that of her own mother had been invaluable to her as she and Chuck made their way through parenthood.

"Where's Ellie?" Mary asked. "I thought she'd be here."

"Both she and Devon are in the theatre." Chuck explained their absence.

A middle-aged strawberry blond nurse knocked on the door and entered the room. "Hi, I'm Lucia. I'll be helping Dr. Blackett with the delivery today. I came to check how far Mrs. Bartowski is dilated."

At that announcement, both Zondra and Carina made funny faces. "Um, I'm just um, gonna- gonna, um..." Zondra stuttered, _you're a spy for goodness sake! Think fast!_ "go get you some ice. Yea some ice, you look like you could use some Sarah." She finished.

"Good idea Z, I'm coming with you." Carina said and the two ladies hurriedly left the room.

"We'll be outside." Emma said and she and Mary also left the room.

Chuck helped Sarah to lie down, so the nurse could conduct the examination.

"You're only four centimetres dilated." The nurse announced a handful of minutes later. "We've still got some way to go."

Sarah groaned when she heard that. "You're doing great Babe." Chuck tried to soothe her. Sarah huffed and tried to ease her breathing.

The nurse took off her gloves and left the room soon after, after telling them to page her if they needed anything.

"Chuck, why do you keep doing this to me?" Sarah whined, tears beginning to prick her eyes as she rubbed her stomach forlornly.

Chuck cocked a brow at her. She hadn't been exactly resistant to his advances. In fact, if his memory served him correctly, it was her who had been the aggressor around the time this baby was conceived. He did have enough sense not to tell her that though. Instead, he rubbed soothing circles along the length of her back. "It's going to be OK. Pretty soon, we will be holding our son, and all this will be worth it." Chuck promised.

"But it hurts Chuck. My back is really hurting. I don't think I can do this." Sarah sniffed.

Chuck remembered reading about intense lower back pain that many women feel during and sometimes between contractions when they're giving birth. According to the pregnancy guide, steady counter-pressure on the lower back relieved some of the pain. With this in mid, Chuck began to push on the area with his fists during contractions

"Hey, you're Sarah Bartowski. You can do anything." Chuck smiled. "And you've got me. I'll be right here by your side, you can squeeze my hands when the pain gets too intense."

Sarah smiled. "Promise?"

"Of course. Not that I'd actually want you to squeeze so hard that you fracture my hand, or worse, because that'd be pretty painful..." Chuck said. "Not that what you're feeling isn't painful." He amended. "But it'll also be kind of difficult to hold the baby and I wouldn't be much use helping out with him or helping out around the house in general if it's my right hand especially. And the kids will be really upset too, cause then I won't be able to play video games for a while. Hmm, but now that I think of it, that could be to their advantage. I'm pretty good when I play using my left hand, but I'm better when I have both. Not that I plan to play video games with the kids and leave you all alone to deal with the baby, cause I would never, ever do that, but -"

"Chuck, you're rambling." Sarah laughed.

"Sorry." He apologized, looking sheepish. "But feel free to squeeze my hands as hard as you need to. OK?"

"OK." Sarah said. Chuck then wrapped his arms around her and drew her as close to him as he could. Sarah relaxed in his arms and inhaled his scent. It calmed her immediately. God she loved this man. He always managed to comfort her and say the words she needed to hear. "Love you." She said, slightly muffled.

"I love you too." Chuck smiled and kissed her on top of her head.

The ladies returned a few minutes later, with Zondra bringing the promised ice.

"Sarah, maybe you should walk around for a bit." Mary suggested. "Try to get things moving along." It was what she had done while in labour with Chuck and it had done wonders for her delivery.

She agreed and Chuck helped her get out of bed and she slipped a robe on over the hospital gown, all of them taking turns walking with her up and down the hallways and keeping her company. Lucia came back to check on Sarah periodically, making notes as she did so. Two hours later, once again, Sarah was lying on the bed, with Chuck beside her as Lucia checked how far she was dilated.

"Well, you are nine centimetres dilated." She announced. "I'll go get the Doctor; it's soon time to push."

Sarah noticed that Chuck had been growing anxious and was pacing the room. He had tried to remain calm for the most part, but his nervousness was now seeping through. "Chuck?" Sarah called out. Chuck stopped in his tracks and looked at her questioningly. Sarah sent him a smile, trying to let him know that everything was going to be OK. "Honey, look at me. I need you to go outside for a little while. Pull yourself together and come back to me." Sarah instructed. "I need you Chuck."

Chuck kissed her on her temple and went outside for a few short minutes. Emma, Carina and Zondra went in to the room to keep her company until Chuck returned. Chuck wandered a bit and found himself in front of the nursery window, looking at the new-born babies in their cots. He bit his fingernails nervously as he looked at the wailing babies. Having done this whole process five times already, (and almost having to help Sarah deliver their second child Emily as there was terrible weather and the roads were blocked), he had thought that he would've been a bit less freaked out, but that was not the case. Mary came up beside him, and gave him a shoulder nudge.

"Hey Chuck."

"Hey Mom."

"Why aren't you in there?"

Chuck opened and closed his mouth a couple of times but was unable to utter anything comprehensive. Mary realized it was time for her to give a little pep-talk. "Listen, I know I made some mistakes. I missed most of your childhood and your Dad and Ellie for the most part had to raise you all on her own. There's not a day that goes by that I don't regret that." Mary began. "You're an amazing father already Chuck. You and Sarah have done a good job raising the other five children already and I'm sure this time it'll be no different." Mary said. "I'm proud of you, and I know Sarah is proud of you too. And your father. God rest him in his grave..." Mary trailed off, her voice having been heavy with emotion as memories of her beloved husband flooded her mind. She blinked away the tears that were pooling in her eyes. "I know that he's proud of you too, you're a wonderful Dad already."

"Thanks Mom." Chuck said. She had always had a way of comforting him when he was younger, and she was still able to do so. Despite the initial mistrust and anger he had experienced when she returned to their lives, he was happy that she was with him now, back with her family where she belonged.

"You're welcome." relied Mary. "So come on, let's get in there."

Chuck took a deep breath and smiled at his Mom. She pulled him into a brief hug and tapped his back encouragingly. Together, the two made their way back to Sarah's room. Emma was there, giving Sarah a fresh set of ice cubes to cool her down. When Sarah heard the soft click of the door being opened, she looked up to see him and managed to smile despite her pain. Chuck walked over to her bedside and took her right hand in his.

"Don't freak out." Sarah smiled up at Chuck. "We're ready for it."

Carina and Zondra excused themselves from the room. They were still a tad uncomfortable with the whole situation but before leaving, they reminded Sarah that they were there for her.

The doctor and two other nurses came in soon after, and checked to make sure that the machines which monitored both Sarah's and the baby's heart rate and her blood pressure were working properly. Dr. Blackett took her position between Sarah's legs and pulled on her latex gloves. After she did the examination, she looked up to Sarah.

"You're ten centimetres dilated and fully effaced." She announced. "It's time to push."

**/\**

After six hours conducting heart surgery and five for a craniotomy, Ellie and Devon Woodcomb showered and changed in to a clean set of scrubs. It was only then that they checked their phones and realised that they had a text message and voice mail informing them of their nephew's pending arrival. Each doctor quickly left their respective hospital wing and headed down to the delivery suite.

"Hey! I heard the latest Bartowski is about to make his début into this world." Devon's voice boomed. Ellie had beaten him to the waiting area and was already sitting with the other women.

"Hey babe." Devon greeted her with a kiss. "Zondra, Carina, I didn't know you guys were in town. It's good to see you though." Devon said and sat down in one of the chairs.

"You know us Devon, we're full of surprises and we tend to just pop up." Zondra replied. "It's good to see you guys too."

"For someone who claims to hate surprises, Walker sure did surprise us today."

"You mean by going into labour?" Ellie asked for clarification.

Carina snorted. "Ha! We didn't even know she was pregnant."

"She had hinted at having a surprise for us the next time we came to town, but I didn't think much of it. The last couple of times we video-conferenced it was always from the bust and up. And even then, the kids usually took over."

"I did tell her that her face was getting fatter. Then I teased her about waiting until she was getting old to pack on the pounds." Carina added.

"We actually had the baby shower six weeks ago. I sent both of you guys an email."

"We were both undercover." Zondra explained. "I was infiltrating a terrorist organization in Burundi, and Carina was in El Salvador hunting down some drug lord. Same old; same old."

"Have you guys heard anything about Sarah?" Devon asked, wanting to switch the conversation from spy-related stuff.

"Besides Walker swearing to cut off Chuck's manhood and her screaming like she's possessed?" Zondra asked. Devon chuckled at Zondra's statement. At least he had been pretty lucky as Ellie had been relatively calm during her two deliveries. "The nurse did pop out to say everything was going well."

"It shouldn't be too long now." Carina said. "Your Mom and Emma are also in there."

"Oh that's good that both of them got to be here." Ellie said.

As they waited for news on the latest Bartowski, the four friends made small talk and caught up on the recent happenings in Burbank or Snores Ville as Carina had permanently attached the name to it, and they told them of some of their unclassified info from their last couple of missions.

"What's taking them so long?" Carina asked the group. They had been in the waiting room for a little more than an hour, and the baby still hadn't come.

"Do you think something could be wrong?" Zondra asked the two doctors, growing equally as concerned as her friend.

Devon and Ellie looked at each other and Devon shrugged slightly. "I'm sure if something was wrong someone would've come and told us by now." Ellie said. "Besides, at her last appointment a couple of days ago, everything was fine." A lot can happen in a few days the doctor in her head said. Devon squeezed her hand for reassurance, they both knew there could be complications, but were praying for the opposite.

"Dr. Woodcomb?" A member of the hospital staff approached them. Both Ellie and Devon turned to her. "Sorry. I meant Ellie. You've got a call on line one."

"OK. I'll be right back." Ellie told the group and followed the employee.

When she returned, Zondra and Devon were idly flipping through magazines, while Carina had begun to pace the floor. "That was Morgan. Alex collected the twins from school, and they will stay at their house until Sarah has the baby and someone comes to take them home or they can spend the night."

"What about the rest of the kids?" Zondra inquired.

"Casey and Gertrude have got that under control. They're all at Chuck's and Sarah's." Ellie explained.

"All, **all** of them?" Devon questioned.

Ellie raised her eyebrow. "Yes all of them, meaning Molly, Chuck's and Sarah's and our children. We can pick them up after we finish here."

"I don't know if that's a good idea Ellie." Carina said, her eyes dancing with mirth. "I can only imagine Casey and Gertie now. Six kids? It's like they have a miniature army."

"Oh! I can see it now, he'll have them doing push-ups, watching Reagan documentaries, Cold War movies...They'll be scarred for life." Zondra added.

Devon laughed at the thought and Ellie chuckled. "I'm sure Gertrude will keep a leash on him. She knows how to keep things from getting too out of hand."

"I wouldn't be so sure Ellie." Zondra warned. "She's just as bad herself."

Ellie laughed at their antics. "I think I'm going to find out what's going on." She said, having had enough of waiting. The others conveyed their agreement and she made her way down the hallway to Sarah's suite.

**/\**

**Meanwhile...**

"I'm so tired." Sarah complained. The sweat clinging to her brow was a testament to the energy she had been expounding with each push. It felt like she'd been pushing for hours, when it had really only been approximately forty-five minutes. She thought he would've been out already, but apparently her son had ideas of his own and was going to come when he pleased. Thankfully, the fetal heart monitor was still beeping steadily, so her worries about something being wrong were alleviated.

"Sarah, you're doing really well. Now, when the next contraction comes, I want you to push as hard as you can." The OB/GYN instructed. "You're almost there."

Sarah nodded and squeezed Chuck's hand as she tried to catch her breath. She was tired of all the pushing and the breathing exercises. She was tired of holding either Chuck's, Emma's or Mary's hands, she was tired of them telling her she was doing great. She was tired of the doctor telling her to keep pushing. She was tired of the contractions. Her legs were beginning to cramp up from bending her knees so that the doctor could look betwen...She was tired of everything... She just wanted to sleep for about a week. Yea, a week sounded nice. The pain was just too much. _God, why did I refuse that epidural?_ She would shoot herself for having done so. "Chuck?" she managed to whisper, "You know that you're cut off indefinitely."

Chuck, for his benefit had learnt a few things over Sarah's deliveries. There were certain do's and don'ts...First off, when she was making her threats...**D****o**: Keep your motion shut...**Don't:** Say that she was the one who was insatiable...It was better to keep quiet and just nod or smile encouragingly at her. Of course, sometimes that didn't work as she would question why he wasn't saying anything, and that, combined with labour pains would infuriate her a little more. When that happened, Chuck was basically screwed and just had to wing it. That proved to be a no-no win situation at times.

Chuck stepped away from Sarah's slightly, and looked as he was going to see what the doctor could from her position. Sarah quickly latched on to his arm and pulled him closer to her. She grabbed his left ear. "Don't you even think about going down there to check!"

That was the second thing. **Don't: **Under **no** circumstances should Chuck go to where the doctor was between her legs. He had done so when she was in labour with CJ and had fainted. **Do: **Keep by her bedside and let her scream into your ear or squeeze your hand whenever she felt the need. If you followed those simple instructions, you'd survive.

"Ow, ow!" Chuck said, "My ears hurt." Emma and Mary tried to stifle their chuckles which came out more as a little cough. Emma busied herself with...

She only released his ear when another contraction hit. "Argh!"

"Come on Sarah, you're almost there." Chuck looked down at her and smoothed down her hair. "A couple more pushes and he will be here."

"You know I'm never doing this again. Right?"

"Yea, I know. One last baby." Chuck joked.

Sarah groaned slightly. He, Morgan and Casey had reprimanded her for saying "One last mission." before they retired from the spy life, mainly because they believed it was some sort of jinx. You knew things were bad when Casey agreed with** both** Chuck and Morgan on anything. _'You never say one last mission.'_ She just hoped Chuck's statement didn't jinx them. Another baby was definitely not in her plans. Nope. Not after this. She was finished, her uterus had been used enough in its lifetime. Sarah couldn't dwell on that train of thought too long as her next contraction struck and she was instructed to give one last strong push. _OK, I can do this._ Mustering all her strength, Sarah secured her right hand in Chuck's and her left in her mother's; Sarah gave one last push with everything she had left.

After seven hours in labour Chuck and Sarah's last child finally made his entrance into the world. Sarah was exhausted and dropped back onto the bed. When the sounds of her baby's first cries filled the room, a smile graced her features. He was finally here. Chuck did the honours of cutting the umbilical cord. After they cleaned off the baby boy, he was swaddled in a receiving blanket and Chuck took him from the nurse.

"Congratulations." Dr. Blackett said as she took of her gloves at smiled at the happy family members.

Sarah mouthed her thanks to the Doctor and she smiled back.

"Hey little guy." Chuck said, as he walked over to Sarah's bedside. "It's Daddy." The baby boy yawned slightly, a wide toothless motion that made his heart swell.

Sarah extended her arms to take him and Sarah immediately cradled him near to her chest. The baby looked up at her, gentle and warm blue eyes met inquisitive ones which were filled with wonder. Tears began to fill her eyes as the emotion took over. Her mind briefly flickered to the previous times she had held all of her children for the first time. Though she and Chuck had agreed they were ready to start a family, when CJ was born, she was once again filled with apprehension during labour. After all, she had mostly cradled guns and sometimes injured colleagues, not babies, well except Molly and Clara, and even then, she had always felt that her hands were much too bloody to be holding such innocent and beautiful beings. However, Chuck had put those fears to rest, and when she first held him, she was filled with a deep sense of wonder and happiness. That same emotion had been repeated, just as intensely when she held her other children for the first time and this was no different. He was a little pink and squished, but he was perfect. She looked him over, counting his fingers and toes, he was OK, a tad smaller than she remembered the others being, but that didn't matter. He seemed healthy and that was all that truly mattered.

"Hey baby...I'm your Mommy." She introduced herself, total elation consuming her. As she looked into his eyes, and ran her finger through his hair, she couldn't help but smile. Her pregnancy and labour woes had definitely been worth it. "I'm really happy to be holding you." Sarah stroked his cheek. "I love you so much already." Sarah whispered. Chuck wrapped his arm around Sarah and placed a kiss on her forehead, equally feeling as much love and adoration for their precious gift. Since it would soon be time for the baby to be taken to the nursery for the normal procedures to be followed and for possible monitoring, the parents allowed Mary and Emma to hold him also.

"He's beautiful." Mary commented in awe as she held her grandson and Emma sounded her agreement. The grandmothers and parents spent a few more minutes fawning over the new-born before he was taken to the nursery.

"I'm exhausted." Sarah moaned after the two were left alone.

Chuck smiled lovingly at her. She had been a trooper throughout this pregnancy. Towards the beginning of her third trimester, the doctor had warned that her blood pressure levels were rising and she had been placed on partial bed rest. That had been a bit difficult for her, especially considering that with five children running around the house, she always had to be doing something. Thankfully, the children, following the example of their older brother had been on their best behaviour most of the time, which meant she did not have much to stress about. The older children had also managed to keep the twins entertained so Sarah didn't have to exert herself too much when they wanted to play. And of course there was work too, but Chuck had made sure that things had been extremely light for her up until when she went on leave. "I'm so proud of you Sarah."

"Mhmm."

"OK, take your rest, I'm gonna step out for a moment."

"Mhm OK." She said, already drifting off to sleep.

Ellie was a few feet away from Sarah's room when she saw her mother and Emma step out of the room. The two proud grandparents hugged each other and had bright smiles on their faces. Ellie then put some pep in her step to reach the women faster.

"He's perfect." Mary announced, having seen the question in her daughter's eyes.

"They're cleaning up now. But I'm sure you guys can go in soon."

Ellie was relieved and squealed delightedly.

When Chuck entered the waiting room, he was greeted by the group. After enquiring about Sarah's well-being and finding out she was doing OK, but a little tired and sleeping, the group minus Emma who had gone back to Sarah's room, then went down to the nursery to see the baby.

**/\**

A while later, after he had been weighed and measured, given a Vitamin K shot, the hepatitis vaccine and eye drops to prevent infection, and the necessary tests conducted, their baby was brought back up to Sarah's room for his first feeding. It took her a moment before her she got him to latch on but after he did, the baby nursed comfortably. The others, minus Chuck decided to stay outside and wait, giving them some privacy. After the all clear was given, Ellie and Devon went in to the room first.

"Congrats Sarah." Devon and Ellie chorused.

"Thank you." Sarah smiled.

"What am I?" Chuck asked offended. "Chopped liver? I played a part in his creation too."

Ellie rolled her eyes and Sarah laughed softly. "Sorry bro. My bad." Devon patted him on the back. "But the women do the really hard part. Nevertheless, congrats to you too."

"Thank you Captain." Chuck said. "At least one person understands and appreciates me." Chuck glared at Ellie.

"Yeah, yeah. Congrats to you too Chuck." She waved him off and Ellie immediately went over to the crib. "Is it OK if I hold him?"

"Ellie." Sarah said incredulously. "Of course you can hold him."

Ellie smiled and picked up her nephew with a practiced ease. "Hi, little guy, I'm your Aunt Ellie."

"And I'm Uncle Awesome." Devon introduced himself coming up behind Ellie.

Ellie rolled her eyes good-naturedly at the nickname which had stuck indefinitely. "How are you feeling Sarah?"

"I'm fine, a little tired, but I'm happy."

"You and the Chuckster sure did awesome." Devon complimented. He was now holding the baby. "This one here surely got all his looks from you. The girls better watch out." He joked.

The three conversed a bit more and the topic of names for the new-born arose but Chuck and Sarah said they were still undecided. Ellie then took a number of photos with her phone. After the mini photo shoot, Chuck stepped out to call home and check on the kids. "Casey says he's got the fort under control." Chuck announced upon his return to the room.

"Babe, we better get going, we've got to collect the kids." Devon reminded her.

"You're right!" She sighed. "Chuck, Sarah, I'm so happy for you guys. I'll see you tomorrow." Ellie hugged the couple and gave them both a kiss on the cheek.

"Later Chuck, Sarah and baby."

"Goodnight." Chuck and Sarah chorused.

Mary was the next person to come bid them goodbye, promising to visit again tomorrow. Before she left Sarah asked her where Carina and Zondra were. Mary answered that they had gone down to the gift shop. She kissed them goodnight and Chuck volunteered to walk her to the car. Zondra and Carina came into the room a little while after they had left.

Carina had a large stuffed giraffe in her hand and two balloons with 'Congratulations' and 'It's a boy!' written on them, while Zondra had a brown teddy bear and a card in hers.

They placed the stuffed animals in one of the empty chairs which Mary and Chuck had vacated and put the balloons near the bedside.

"Carina, Zondra, you know you guys didn't have to stay." Sarah told them.

Zondra waved her off. "It's not a problem. We wanted to."

"And I guess you screaming like a Banshee in my ear and holding my hand so tight was worth it." Carina added, casting a glance at the baby.

"I'm glad that you're here." Sarah said honestly. "Do you want to hold him?"

"Oh I don't know Walker; he looks so small and fragile." Zondra said nervously. They had previously visited after Sarah had delivered, so during those times, the babies were usually past three weeks old and not looking as fragile as the baby did now.

Sarah laughed softly. "Just do like Mary does. She said you handle babies like if you were handling live explosives. Smooth and silent."

"Um OK." Zondra said walking over to the cot. She looked at Sarah again, who smiled encouragingly. She reached down into the cot and picked up the baby gently, cradling him in her arms. "Hiiiii." She cooed. "You're so cute. Yes you are. Yes you are." Zondra smiled. "I'm your Auntie."

Zondra then turned to Carina. "Do you wanna hold him?"

"Sure, why not."

Zondra walked over to her and placed the baby in her arms, adjusting the blankets afterward. Confused by the sudden change of hands, he wrinkled his face. Carina thought he was getting ready to cry. "Walker, I think you better take him back."

"Try talking to him."

Carina looked down at the baby, who looked directly in to her green eyes, as though he was looking past her hard façade and saw the woman beneath. She shuddered for a moment. "Hey." She started, "You look just like your Mommy."

Emma, who had gone off to call some of Sarah's closest friends and tell them the news, knocked on the door and entered. She walked over to Sarah. "I think it's time I get going. I'll stay with the kids and help out until you are released."

"OK, thanks Mom. For everything."

"No problem baby girl." Emma smiled and kissed her on her forehead. She then walked over to Carina who was still holding the baby. "And Grandma will see you tomorrow my precious." She cooed. Tomorrow, the other Bartowski children and Molly would also be visiting.

"Tell the kids I miss them and I love them." Sarah told her mother. "On second thought, they will probably be sleeping by the time you get there, so give them a kiss good night for me, and Chuck and I will call in the morning before they go to school.

"Sure. I'm sure they will be looking forward to that call." Emma smiled. "Do you guys need a ride?" Emma asked her daughter's friends.

"Our vehicles are at Chuck and Sarah's place, we drove the minivan here. But I guess we should be heading out too." Zondra said.

Carina agreed and passed the baby to Sarah. They then bid her good night and left her alone with her new-born.

**/\**

"Hey Chuck!" Morgan entered the room whispering, mindful that the baby might be sleeping. He placed his vase of flowers on the bedside table before he walked over to the cot, to see his nephew, who was awake, but lying peacefully, taking in the world around him. "Dude, he looks just like Sarah!" Morgan observed taking in the baby's tuft of blond hair and bright blue eyes. "Where is she by the way?" Morgan asked, noticing the empty bed.

"She decided to go for a little walk. Said her legs were feeling cramped." Chuck explained.

"She must've gone the other direction; I didn't pass her." Morgan mused. "Congrats buddy."

"Thanks Morgan."

"Oh right!" Morgan snapped his fingers, remembering something. "I brought some fresh clothes for you. And obviously the flowers are for Sarah" He said handing Chuck a bag which had been slung around his shoulder.

"Thanks Morgan." Chuck took the bag from him and smiled appreciatively. He was still in his business wear which consisted of slacks and a button down blue shirt. The accompanying tie and jacket had been tossed aside in the car on his drive to the hospital.

"Anything for my best bud." Morgan said. "Alex also sends her congratulations. She said she will visit tomorrow." He held the new-born for a short while and he and Chuck talked some more. "Dude, visiting hours are almost up. I should be heading out." Morgan finally said as he checked his watch.

"Ok Morgan. Thanks again."

"No problem Chuck. I'll see you later."

"Drive safe little buddy. Bye."

When Morgan left, Chuck smiled down at his son. Alone at last. Bending over, he lifted his son from the cot. The baby stretched and yawned slightly. "Are you hungry? Or just tired?" Chuck knew new-borns ate quite a lot, but he had literally just been fed, so he figured it was the latter. "You've had quite a long day...Met lots of people. And tomorrow, your brothers and sisters will be coming to visit."

He began to get fussy, small whimpers escaping his lips. Chuck began to rock him slowly. "How 'bout a lullaby? Yea?" Chuck thought for a moment, deciding on which one to sing. "Ok, this one is Levi and Lisa's favourite... "Good night my little angel. Time to close your eyes..."

**/\**

"You know Chuck, we still haven't decided on a name for him." Sarah said.

She had just finished nursing and consequently burping the baby who had then fallen asleep in the warm comfort of her arms. Carefully, she laid him down in the cot on his belly and pulled a blanket over his small romper-clad form. Chuck came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He then kissed her on the cheek. Sarah sighed contentedly when he did so and the proud parents looked at their baby sleeping peacefully for a couple of minutes, with small smiles on their faces. He would be spending the night in her room, thereby making it easier for him to be fed during the night, rather than having to be brought from the nursery when he was hungry or fed formula. The nurse however would check in during the night.

Sarah turned in his arms so that they were now facing each other. Chuck maintained his hold on her waist and she hung her arms loosely around his neck, enjoying the proximity.

"There's always Han or Luke." Chuck proposed. Sarah gave him a sour face. "Anakin?" He suggested hopefully.

Sarah shook her head no again. They had been over this already; he was not being named after Star Wars characters, not his first name at least. As she had shown with Emily and Lisa, whose middle names were Leia and Serenity respectively, she could be accommodating to their father's nerdy tendencies, but not **that** lenient. "No Star Wars names."

"Oh I got it!" Chuck exclaimed suddenly. "How about Jayne? It's not a name from Star Wars...That's from Firefly."

"Cause that makes it all better?" Sarah asked, her eyebrow arched. Chuck laughed softly. "Who even names a boy child Jayne? If that's not a sure way to have him being bullied on the playground, I don't know what is."

"Hey!" Chuck cried out offended. "With you being a kick-ass ninja, I don't see any child of ours being bullied. And I'll have you know that Jayne Cobb was an amazing man...He robbed from the rich and he gave to the poor. He stood up to the man and he gave him what for. Our love for him now, ain't hard to explain. The hero of Canton, the man they call Jayne!" Chuck said in a sing-song voice.

Sarah squinted her eyes at him, wondering what the hell he was going on about. "Um, yea, whatever." She said disinterested.

"Sarah, I've been telling you for years; you really do need to watch Firefly with me. Seriously, Jayne is sick, kinda like Casey."

"Despite his supposed thrilling heroics, I'm still saying no to Jayne."

"Fineeeee." Chuck whined. "You're so difficult woman." He joked. Sarah narrowed her eyes at him and arched both eyebrows. The Death Stare...Chuck stepped away from her slightly and put his hands up in surrender. They had already narrowed down the list to four names: Jonathan, Andrew, Vincent and Steven. "How about Jonathan?"

"I like it." Sarah said. "But what about his middle name?"

"Well, we already gave Levi my Dad's name. Do you want him to have yours?"

Sarah thought about it for a moment. She and her father had managed to reconnect two and a half years ago. He had left the conning behind, since as he put it, he was getting a little too old and a being good con man he knew it was time to quit. Using their government contacts, Chuck and Sarah had been able to give him a clean slate. He had apologized for his more often than not putting financial rewards above hers, and Sarah had forgiven him. Their relationship, nor that of him and her mother hadn't been as strained. Sarah was elated to have both parents in her life, especially since when she joined the CIA, she didn't think it would have been possible. Jack didn't move to Burbank to be closer to Sarah and his grandchildren as Emma had done, but Sarah understood his reasoning; he wasn't fully comfortable with his new life and she was not going to pressure him. He did however make sure to call often and visited frequently. Jack knew he had messed up his daughter's childhood, and although he could not change any of that, he did think that being in her life now and that of his grandchildren was definitely a good thing.

"I'm not sure. But maybe. Let's sleep on it." she suggested before climbing into bed. She noticed he was setting up the couch in the far corner of the room and frowned. "You're going to sleep on the couch?"

"Yea." Chuck said as of it was the obvious answer. The nurse had been kind enough to bring him a pillow and two blankets, so he was all set.

"You could climb in here with me." Sarah suggested. "I think the bed is big enough for two."

Chuck shrugged. "I don't know...I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Sarah glared at him. "Charles Bartowski." She said irritably. "I gave birth to your son a few hours ago. I think the least you can do is come into this bed with me, wrap your arms around me and let me fall asleep peacefully. Get in this bed. Now."

"Oh so demanding. And then you wonder where the kids get it from." Chuck joked. Sarah still glared at him. Sighing, he pulled down the blankets and got into bed with Sarah. She scooted over a little so Chuck would be more comfortable and then snuggled against his warmth. She rested her head on his chest and Chuck smiled down and her.

"Good night Sarah. Love you."

"Good night Chuck. I love you too." Yes, it was a very good night indeed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN #2: I'm just ironing out a few details for the next chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed this one though.**

**Apologies if the hospital procedure during and after labour is incorrect, from using I found that Google, the system is pretty different to here in Barbados. **

**Anyway, leave a review if you like (even as a guest)..Favouriting, and placing the story on alert is also much appreciated...As a writer it feels nice to know you readers are enjoying the story.**

**And apparently, Congress is looking into the C.I.A.'s interrogation practices, i.e. 'torture' hmmm it'd be interesting to see what, if anything at all becomes of that.**

**Until next time**

**~xoxoxo**

**Bg. 30/08/2014**


	10. Hospital Visits and Coming Home

**A/N#1: I had planned to have this out earlier, even before school started, but then life intervened... Anyway, here's the latest chapter. It's what _charahkids_ calls a monster chapter, but it sort of took on a life of its own.**

**Thanks a million for the reviews. Wow! This story hit the 150 mark for reviews and over 9000+ views. I can't describe how much your support means to me. As always, huge thanks to _charahkids._**

**_Wow, ten chapters already and 9000+ views! THANKS A BILLION._**

**I don't own CHUCK, and any errors are mine. When I re-read this and spot any, I'll be sure to correct them.**

**_Chapter 10 - Hospital Visits and Coming Home (aka Full House: Epilogue part 3)_**

**_Words: 16,227_**

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><p><strong><span>~0/~**

"Chuck, you really should go get some fresh air." Sarah tried to convince him.

Chuck momentarily stopped cooing to the newborn. "No, it's OK. I want to spend some time with you."

"We will be fine Chuck." Sarah promised. "You've barely left the room since he's been born. Don't you want to eat something besides hospital food?"

"You saying that you don't like my company?" Chuck asked with faux offence.

Sarah smiled and hopped of the bed. She then sat down next to him on the couch. "You know that's not what I meant. I just don't want you to go crazy from being cooped up in here."

"But I'm already crazy." Chuck replied seriously. "Crazy about you." He said giving her a smoldering gaze.

"You do know that line is sooooo overused." Sarah teased. "Furthermore, it's actually kind of cheesy."

"Please, I am adorable! You've told me that many times."

Sarah shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know babe," she began with a mischievous glint in her eyes "the grey hairs beginning to appear would dispute that fact. Despite what you may believe, they do not increase your sex appeal." Sarah ran her fingers through his hair, a faux-serious look on her face. "In fact, I'd dare say you are losing your touch just the tiniest bit."

He leaned in and gave her a slow kiss, mindful that the small baby was still in his arms. When he pulled away, Chuck smiled at her. "Still think I'm losing my touch?" Chuck asked smugly. He took in Sarah's state- slightly flushed skin, and glazed eyes - and concluded that he had definitely not lost his touch.

"Yuck! I think I'm gonna be sick. Gosh! Don't you two ever stop? Seriously Chuck, you will scar the kid for life and he's even less than a day old." Casey said from in the doorway. The two of them snapped their attention to him. "For crying out loud Bartowski, she just had a baby. Can't you ever give it a rest and keep it in your pants?" Casey finished and shut the door. He then took a seat in one of the vacant chairs.

Both Chuck and Sarah blushed slightly, and Sarah was the first to recover. She got up and said: "So nice to see you too Casey." Sarah gave him a brief hug to which he grunted. "I'm assuming the flowers are for me?" She asked and admired them. The arrangement of flowers was quite stunning. Dazzling white spray roses, happy yellow miniature gerberas, light blue delphinium, and white waxflower were bundled together with a light blue organza ribbon and placed in a clear baby block with a light blue liner. She would definitely be keeping the block.

"Gertrude's idea. She would've come with me, but there was a hiccup with one of her overseas teams. She's trying to sort it out back at the office."

"Thank you. And be sure to pass my thanks along to gertrude as well."

"You know Casey," Chuck having gotten over his initial shock began, "you really do need to knock or find some other way to announce your presence." He'd never quite understood how such a large man managed to be so stealthy.

"You don't spend weeks in the palace of a Premier of a former godforsaken communist country and spilling blood in the process, hence earning the title of Angel de la Muerte by being loud moron." Casey's countenance changed to one of being far away. _Oh, what a mission that was. _The smell of gunpowder and the sounds of bullets as they left his powerful weapon clouded his senses_. _He pulled himself, almost involuntarily from his trip down memory lane. _"_And I did knock. But I guess it's a good thing I came in here when I did. I sincerely hope you weren't gonna get frisky, or should I say friskier than what I just saw." Casey said, injecting the right amount of disgust in his voice.

"Casey!" Chuck cried, offended. "After all these years and you still have no faith in my self-control."

"I think this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. We weren't the ones who got frisky in prison while on a mission." Sarah teased, smirking.

Casey grunted. It wasn't his fault Gertrude found it hard to say no to him. "Whatever. The fact remains that you guys got and still do get freaky practically any and everywhere else! Ergo, anything that Gertrude and I do pales in comparison."

"I beg to differ." Chuck defended. "In fact, I -"

"Thanks for watching the kids yesterday." Sarah cut in, stopping Chuck from continuing the banter with Casey.

"It was nothing." Casey shrugged. "After they finished their homework, we watched an old war movie and they seemed to like it."

"Why am I not surprised, it was either that or a Reagan documentary." Chuck muttered.

"Well somebody's gotta combat all that nerdy nonsense that you and the bearded imp have filled their heads with." Casey shot back.

"Casey, you know Alex doesn't like when you call Morgan any of those nicknames."

Casey shrugged again. He refrained from calling Morgan the nick manes while the children were around, not wanting to have them pick up the habit, but he had realised that Morgan was no longer fazed by it. In fact, Morgan considered it to be his weird form of endearment.

"I hope the movie was age appropriate Casey." Sarah said, giving him a pointed look.

"Of course it was Walker; or Gertrude wouldn't have let them watch it." Casey assured her. "She's real particular about that stuff."

Sarah smiled at his response. With all the violence, sexual inappropriateness and vulgar language permeating the video games, movies and other mass media, she and Chuck had been very careful about what they let the children watch. Casey held the baby, and then they talked for a couple more minutes before he had to leave. "I'm having lunch with Morgan, so I have to head out."

"Would you mind if Chuck tagged along?" Sarah asked, ignoring the look Chuck was giving her. "He hasn't been able to get anything to eat yet and I'm not a fan of hospital food, so that way, he can bring me something back too."

"Sure, I guess he can tag along." Casey said. He handed back the baby to Sarah. "But if you and Moron number two decide to start rambling like fangirls about any nerdy foolishness I will shove my foot up your ass!"

"Casey!" Sarah hissed.

"We do not ramble like fangirls Casey. And if I remember correctly, you loved it when we introduced you to Firefly **and** you were the one who wanted Emma to knit you one of Jayne's hats since you didn't want to buy one online."

Casey's face reddened a little. Emma had offered. He did not ask her to. _Bartowski is definitely gonna pay for that. _"Whatever." He gruffly said, wanting the topic to go away from him and his fascination with Jayne -the hero of Canton. But why wouldn't he like the man? He was big, brawny, loved his guns, and witty... Kind of like himself now that he thought about it. "I'll wait for you outside Chuck. See you later Sarah."

When Casey left, Chuck turned to Sarah, a frown on his face. "Do you really want to get rid of me that badly?"

"No, of course not."

"Good, cause you're stuck with me." Chuck told her.

"As if I'd rather be with anyone else." Sarah replied. "Seriously though, you haven't left this room for more than fifteen minutes. I can't wait to go home and be able to share meals with the kids. This hospital food is not my cup of tea. I want you to go have lunch with the guys, you know, get some wind blowing through your hair... " She knew Chuck was going to interrupt, so she held up her hand, asking for him to let her finish. "I'll be fine. Alex will be visiting soon, and I'm sure Ellie and/ or Devon will stop by. Don't worry."

"OK." Chuck relented. "What do you want brought back?"

"At this point, anything seems better than hospital food. So I guess you can surprise me, but I don't want anything too spicy."

Chuck nodded, gave her and the baby a quick kiss and then left to go for lunch.

**/\**

During the time that Chuck had left, she had a number of visitors. Two of her newest friends whom she'd met in yoga class had been there, followed by some of the stay at home moms from the PTA at the girls' school whom she worked closely with when it came to the fundraisers. After that, her personal secretary/assistant had visited along with one of the members from her legal team. They had brought two congratulatory cards signed by the Orion Technologies Inc. employees. Each visitor had brought a gift, either flowers, balloons or some sort of stuffed animal for the baby.

Alex visited soon after, bringing a fruit basket with her. "Good thing I didn't bring flowers." Alex commented as she took in the room and all the flowers. "You could open a small florist shop with these."

Sarah laughed at that. "I guess so. I'm actually going to talk to Ellie and Devon or the nurse about giving some of them to the other patients." Sarah said. "Not that they aren't lovely or anything, but I hope to be going home tomorrow and if they can brighten someone else up who will be here longer than I am, then they'll be serving a good purpose."

"That's a nice gesture." Alex complemented. "How are you feeling?"

"Still a bit sore and tired." Sarah admitted. "But, you know, it was worth it." Sarah said casting a glance to her son who had fallen asleep a few minutes after Alex arrived.

"I know what you mean." Alex smiled.

"I also wanted to thank you for watching the twins after school. I hope they weren't too much trouble."

Alex waved her hand dismissively. "No, they were fine. It's always a pleasure to have them come over. Cassidy and Adam loved having them over and I even let the four of them help me bake some cookies. They did ask a lot of questions about when you were going to come home though."

"Oh, I would've called last night, but things got crazy. He didn't seem to want to come out, and I was exhausted afterwards."

"My Dad said that Zondra and Carina are in town?"

"Oh yeah, they were the ones who brought me to the hospital."

"Really?" Alex asked. "That must've been interesting. Tell me more."

**/\**

True to her word, when Ellie stopped by after checking on her patients, Sarah asked her about giving some of the flowers to other patients. She too thought it was a good idea and got two of the nurses on the ward to distribute most of the flowers to other patients.

"Devon had an emergency surgery gunshot wound from a robbery. So not awesome I know, but if he has time after making his rounds later this evening, he will probably stop by. Have my Mom or yours been by today?"

"No, but they called. Said they'd stop by later."

The two then watched some TV until Ellie's attention was transferred to her nephew when he woke up. When the intercom blared out her name to report to the administration desk on the first floor, she bade Sarah bye and rushed off. After Ellie left, Sarah looked at her watch and tapped anxiously on her leg. Chuck had been gone a while and she missed him terribly.

"Your Daddy sure is taking his time." Sarah told Jonathan. "And Mommy's getting hungry. You know your Grandma Emma is going to bring your brother and sisters to see you this evening. Are you excited?" Sarah occupied herself by talking to him a bit more and surfing through the TV channels until Chuck returned.

Fifteen minutes later, Chuck came into the room. "Hey baby." Chuck greeted her with a kiss.

"Hey. About time you got here." Sarah said taking the bag of food from him. "I was just about to call and see where you are."

"Sorry." He apologized. Chuck looked around the room, noticing the flowers were gone. "There was an emergency at work which needed my attention. Thankfully I was able to get the mess sorted out. Sarah? What happened to the flowers?"

Sarah chewed her food first before answering. "I had Ellie and two of the nurses give them away to some patients who are having extended stays in the hospital."

"That was sweet of you."

"Sweet?" Sarah questioned. "Gee, thanks for making me feel like I'm eight."

Chuck chuckled at her using his line from their first date. "Just shut up and eat your food Mrs. Bartowski."

Sarah saluted him. "Yes Sir!" Sarah followed his instructions and began to eat, thoroughly enjoying the baja black beans, corn, rice and grilled fish, occasionally glancing at the TV. Meanwhile Chuck bonded with Jonathan.

**/\**

After school, Emma brought the older Bartowski children and Molly to the hospital to see Sarah and baby Jonathan. They'd each gotten to hold him for a while before he began to get cranky. Sarah had then had to feed him and he fell asleep.

"Mommy, when are you coming home?" Shamia asked her.

"Hopefully tomorrow. The doctor says he's healthy and so am I. So far, she's been satisfied with my recovery postpartum so once our last exam goes smoothly, we should be released tomorrow."

"Good, cause the twins have been asking. They were sad that they couldn't come with us." CJ said.

"Well, we will have to make it up to them then." said Chuck.

"Yea, two scoops of Rocky Road and they'll be fine." Emily piped up. "Or maybe you can take them to the live show of Sesame Street when it comes to Burbank."

"I'm so glad he was born while I was on break from college." Molly, who was now nineteen said. "I would've hated for him to come while I was stuck in Washington"

"Remind me again why I let you go so far from home?" Emma said.

"Because Mom, Washington state University has one of the best Criminal Justice programs in the entire country." Molly replied.

"And one of the most expensive." Sarah muttered under her breath. She was thankful that their company was doing well, or else she and Chuck would be in a serious predicament when the time came to send each of their children off to college. With the way things were looking, she only expected tuition fees to continue rising.

"Have you guys decided on a name yet?" Emma asked Chuck and Sarah.

"Yea, he needs a cool name. It's not right to be calling him the baby all the time."

"Actually," Sarah began, "We decided to name him Jonathan. We haven't agreed on his middle name yet though."

"Jonathan..." Emily repeated. "I like it."

"Me too." Shamia added her two cents.

"It's not as great as Han or Anakin." CJ opined. "But I guess it's a good name."

Sarah and Chuck looked at each other with wide eyes. The three of them hardly ever agreed on anything. Usually, it was the girls who had the same views and they would then team up on CJ. All three seemed to have inherited Sarah's stubbornness, and CJ while he had most of the nerdy tendencies, was always ready to challenge his younger sisters, Emily in particular. They constantly found themselves at each other's throats, and Chuck and Sarah had to separate them on one occasion as they had engaged in actual physical confrontation. They had been reprimanded for that and had never done it again, the punishment and threat of even more severe punishment ringing in their ears.

"I never thought I'd see the day when the three of them agreed on anything." Chuck, who was dumbfounded, said to Sarah. "There might be hope in the world after all."

"Chuck, oh no you didn't." Sarah said horrified.

"What?" He whispered, clearly confused.

"Do you not know your own children?" Sarah hissed.

"Well, there comes a time in a man's life when he must put away childish things, such as petty squabbles with his younger, immature sisters." CJ declared, sounding a bit like Awesome when he had given Morgan advice about being a tucker.

"I spoke too soon." Chuck muttered to Sarah as CJ's comment got them bickering again.

"You're not a man CJ!" Shamia said angrily. "You're barely fourteen!"

"And I am not immature!" Emily enthused.

CJ was about to retort when Emma clapped her hands, grabbing their attention.

"Remember your brother is asleep." Molly said, casting a look towards the cot.

"The three of you really need to behave." Emma commanded.

"If you're not careful, I'll leave you in an abandoned place with minimal supplies and you'll have to work together to find your way back to civilization."

"That'd be so cool." CJ said. "It'd be just like that game we played the other day Emily. I can't remember what it was called, but it was awesome."

"I can't either, but Dad, oh my gosh, you should have been there. CJ and I were on the same team and we demolished the other teams. Basically, you started at an abandoned camp site, and then you had to fend off monsters and furies, and block the attacks of the other teams who were trying to steal your already minimal supplies. In the end, you eventually reach this playing field, which has a shield which the monsters can't penetrate and if you get there first, you win. That game is wicked." Emily agreed. "You really do need to try playing some video games Shamia."

"Yea, they're awesome." CJ agreed.

"Meh! No thanks, I'll stick to my movies and books." Shamia said.

_OK...that did not go as expected._

"Did you guys have a good time with your Uncle Casey last night?" Sarah asked, attempting to steer the conversation into safer territory.

"Yea!" CJ enthused. "We watched this war movie, it was so sick!"

"And Aunt Gertrude made us dinner." Emily added. "We had scalloped potatoes, and chicken with green vegetables. And Uncle Casey made us Quiche for dessert."

"Those cooking lessons you and Auntie Ellie gave her sure did pay off." Molly told Sarah.

"Oh, and Auntie Carina and Zondra spent the night at our house." Shamia said.

Sarah and Chuck both raised their eyebrows at that. "Really?"

"Yea." Emma responded. "They collected the twins from Morgan and Alex's and then they helped to get the children settled."

"It was so much fun." Emily said.

"Auntie Carina helped us pick out our outfits for school this morning. And she even did my hair in the French braid." Shamia said, proudly showing off her braid.

Sarah smiled. It sounded like the children really enjoyed having their aunts around last night. She'd definitely have to thank them later. "I see. Carina did a really good job. You look very pretty."

"Thanks Mummy."

"You're welcome baby. Anything else interesting happened?"

"Auntie Zondra made us breakfast."

Chuck raised his brow at that; he didn't think the CATs were that domesticated.

"Yea! She made smörgås (type of sandwich). It tasted delicious." Molly commented.

"Well I'm glad you guys enjoyed yourself." Sarah smiled.

"We asked them if they would want to have a pyjama party this weekend."

"But Auntie Carina said we'd have to ask you guys first."

"So can we? Please?"

"Pretty please?"

Chuck and Sarah looked at each other, communicating silently. "Maybe not this weekend." Chuck said and the girls deflated. "We still need to get accustomed to having the baby in the house. Maybe in a little while." Sarah was sure that Carina and Zondra would be in Burbank for an extended period of time so they would eventually get to have their pyjama party.

They had been there for over half an hour when Emma looked at her watch and announced that it was time they should get going. Mary had collected the twins from school and they were all going out for dinner and a movie. She would pick up Mary and the twins from her apartment and would let the children choose where they wanted to eat. If she knew the twins, they'd probably choose Chuck E Cheese. After the visiting party had left, Jonathan woke up.

"You know Sarah, I'm sensing a pattern, I don't think he likes so much attention." Chuck said looking down at his son.

"You might actually be right." Sarah agreed. "He might look like me, but I sense some elements of your personality already coming out in him. He'll probably be shy but that will only make him more adorable and impossible not to like."

"You know, I don't think Emma has reached my Mom's yet. You wanna see if we can video conference with the twins as a sort of substitute for not being able to come?"

Sarah smiled. "That's an excellent idea. I miss them so much."

Chuck quickly set up the link. When the link activated, the twins were already dressed and anxious to go to dinner. Mary talked to the two for a short while, enquiring about their well-being and apologizing for not being able to stop by during the day. Sarah told her they were all doing fine and told her that it was OK. Lisa and Levi, though they complained at first about not being able to come to the hospital with their older siblings, were soon pacified when Chuck promised to make it up to them. Chuck then carried the phone over to the so they could see their little brother who was still asleep. After that, Chuck and Sarah asked them how their last two days at school had been and if they were having fun at grandma's. Lisa had declared that they did, and today was especially good since their Mimi had taken them to the park after school and they had ice-cream afterwards. The video link continued until they heard Emma beeping her horn outside. Mary and the kids wished Chuck and Sarah good night, and exchanges of 'love you's' were done before Chuck disconnected.

**/\**

Devon did drop by for a visit after he got out of surgery and made his rounds, and Ellie who just couldn't get enough of her nephew had popped by a second time. Zondra and Carina visited later in the evening, about an hour before visiting hours ended. They'd both slept in after they returned to the hotel. Getting ready five children for school was demanding, and they needed the rest. Afterwards, they had done some shopping, mostly for the baby, since that had missed the baby shower. When they arrived, Sarah was nursing Jonathan.

"Carina, Zondra. It's nice to see you. I was beginning to think you weren't coming."

'Hey Walker." They greeted her.

"My Mom, Molly and the kids visited earlier. They told me you two were a big help with the kids last night and this morning. Thank you."

"We were happy to help." Zondra said.

"Walker! Those kids were just full of energy last night. I don't know what Casey did to them, but they wouldn't go to sleep" Carina said, plopping down in a chair. "The twins fell asleep on the way home, so they weren't any trouble. CJ kept insisting that he didn't need a bedtime, and the girls wanted to stay up late so we could have a mini fashion show. But then we let them know we weren't kidding and they straightened up."

"They didn't even want to get up this morning." Zondra added.

Sarah laughed, like her, CJ and Emily especially were not morning persons, especially if those mornings were school mornings.

"Yea," Zondra agreed. "I don't know how you and. Chuck do it every morning."

"You know, lots of talking, a couple of stern looks and sometimes some threatening and they tend to get moving."

"Where is Chuck anyway?" asked Zondra.

Jonathan had had his fill so Sarah readjusted her clothes and placed him on her shoulder, rubbing his back. "He went to talk to the hospital board for a couple of minutes, we're thinking of donating to their building efforts for a new children's wing, and donating some equipment to help with caring for and monitoring pre-mature babies."

"That's admirable of you." Carina said proudly.

"What did you two get up to?"

"Sleeping in mostly, then we went shopping before coming here."

"Did you guys have fun?' Sarah asked them.

"Yea, we got some nice things for him." Zondra said.

"We got these little outfits that are so cute. There's this one that I fell in love with from the time I saw it. It's a little onesie that has..."

Sarah laughed loudly, cutting off Carina. The two sent her questioning glances. "What's so funny Walker?" asked Zondra.

"I never thought I'd see the day when you two would be gushing over buying baby clothes."

"No need to get the gears turning Walker. You know I get excited about shopping all the time." Carina chided. "Besides, everyone gets excited about babies."

"That may be, but it's still nice to see this side of you." Sarah smiled brilliantly at them. They returned the smiles in tenfold.

They were still laughing and talking when Chuck entered the room with the gynaecologist and a nurse. It was time for Jonathan to go down to the nursery and for Sarah's examination so they left her, promising to stop by the house tomorrow if she was released.

Her gynaecologist had been pleased with how well her body was healing after the birth and Jonathan's health so she declared that they cold go home the next day. Before leaving the room, she reminded Sarah that she would need to set up an appointment with her for her three-week postpartum examination and Johnathan's four week examination. After the doctor left, Jonathan was returned to his mother's room.

"Are you ready to go home tomorrow Mrs. Bartowski?"

Sarah snaked her arms around his torso. "Yes we are. Definitely." Sarah replied casting a glance to the new-born.

* * *

><p><strong><span>~0/~**

When Chuck pulled into the driveway, he quickly hopped out and opened the back door of the minivan for his wife. She smiled thankfully at him and looked at their son who was sleeping in his car seat. Chuck released the car seat from its base and lifted it out of the car. He and Sarah walked up to the red door together.

"Welcome home Jonathan." Sarah whispered.

Emma, who had heard them when the car pulled into the drive way opened the door for them and ushered them inside. She greeted Sarah with a hug and kiss on the cheek. Her attention then focused to her newest grandchild, "Hello my precious. " Emma gushed. "Chuck, Sarah, welcome home." They then made their way to the living room.

Sarah smiled and sat down on the couch, Chuck and Emma doing the same. "It feels good to be home. Where are the rest of the kids?"

"The twins were working on a surprise for you and the others and Molly are in their rooms. I'm surprised they haven't come rushing downstairs."

No sooner were the words out of their mouth, than when the six children, including Molly came tumbling down the stairs, a rush of excitement among them.

"Mommy!" Lisa squealed.

"We missed you." Levi added.

"Guys, keep it down, the baby's asleep." their brother cautioned them.

"Sorry." They apologized, looking down at the floor.

Sarah rocked the baby in her arms slightly, and was relieved that he managed to stay asleep during the twins' outburst. "It's OK. You didn't wake him up."

"But in the future, you will have to be quiet so you don't wake up the baby." Emma said.

Molly, CJ, Emily and Shamia had already been introduced to the newest member of their family, so they sat down on the other couch with Emma, while the twins walked over to their parents. With much curiosity, they looked at what was swaddled in blankets in their mother's hands.

"Levi, Lisa, this is your baby brother Jonathan." Chuck introduced them.

They looked at the baby, then to their parents, before returning their gaze to the baby. "He's pink!" Levi exclaimed.

Lisa promptly covered her twin's mouth with her hand, and watched as the baby yawned and stirred slightly in his sleep. "Quiet Levi." She admonished him.

"Why is he so pink Mommy?" He whispered. He wrinkled his eyebrows in confusion. He didn't think babies were supposed to look like that...He was tiny and squishy looking and his head was pointy...Jonathan didn't look like the babies he saw all the time on TV or on the diapers selling at the supermarket. Levi saw the blond hair peeking out from under the hat, but besides that, he could not see any similarities between the baby in his mother's arms and the rest of his family. Maybe his parents had made a mistake and brought the wrong baby home.

"Yea, babies aren't supposed to be pink." Lisa added, her eyebrows scrunched. "And he's so tiny."

"Well first off, he's not really tiny. He's actually quite big for his age. But obviously, compared to you two, he'd seem small. He's a newborn, so as he eats more and more time passes, eventually he'll get bigger." Chuck explained. He then further explained that he was pink and squishy looking because of the red blood vessels under his skin. The twins were even more confused by that, questioning what blood vessels were so he just simplified it by saying that he'd grow in to his skin and he wouldn't look so pink but would eventually take a complexion close to theirs. "Well I think it's time for this little one to be put down." Chuck announced after about ten minutes. He helped Sarah to get up from the couch and turned to the others. "We'll be right back."

Chuck and Sarah went into the nursery and Sarah gently laid Jonathan down. Chuck then pulled the blanket over him. He then wrapped his arms around Sarah and she snuggled into his chest.

"He's prefect Sarah." Chuck told her as he gazed at his son.

She lightly ran her fingers through his blond hair. "Yea, he is." She smiled.

Chuck placed a small kiss on her forehead. "I love you."

"Mommy? Daddy?" Levi called out.

They turned their attention to the twins who had just entered the room.

"I told Levi we had to knock." Lisa said, remembering her mother's instructions about knocking before entering a room.

"The door wasn't closed." He defended.

Sarah laughed softly. "It's OK, this time. Just remember to be quiet."

They nodded in acceptance and walked up to the crib, attempting to look inside. Though they were tall for their age, with Levi slightly towering over his sister, they couldn't see inside properly due to the bedding. Chuck decided to lift them both up.

"How long is he gonna sleep Daddy?" Lisa asked.

"Well I don't know, babies tend to have irregular sleeping patterns." Chuck explained.

"So when he gets up, what are you gonna do?' Levi questioned.

"By then, it'll be time for him to be fed, and then everyone else is coming over to see him in the evening." Chuck said. "And you two are definitely getting heavy. Have you been sneaking out extra cookies or something?" He asked and set them down. He pretended to have sore arms from lifting them up and exercised his limbs.

Lisa laughed lightly, the melodious sound filling Chuck's ears and he couldn't stop the smile. "Course not Daddy!"

"But since you mentioned cookies, can we have one?" Levi asked.

"Sure, just let your Grandma or one of the older kids give one to you."

"Yes!" He exclaimed and fist pumped his sister. Excitedly, they ran out of the room.

"Remember I said one." Chuck called out after them.

Chuck looked over at Sarah, who had been quiet for the most part. "Are you alright?" He asked concerned.

"Hmm?" Sarah questioned. She had been watching the interaction between Chuck and the twins and had not heard his question.

"I asked if you're OK. You're not having any pain or feeling ill or anything are you?"

"I'm just a little tired." She admitted.

"Well let's get you to bed then." Chuck said, leading her out of the nursery.

**/\**

Sleep didn't come easy for Sarah. She just laid on the bed, under the covers, trying to fall asleep. She knew she should get as much rest as she could when she could, as it wouldn't be easy to come by now that the baby was here, but her body just wouldn't slip into a peaceful slumber. She was still trying to will herself to sleep when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." She called out.

The twins stepped in. "Hi Mommy." They called and climbed into bed with her.

"Hey you two." Sarah said. "What's behind your back?" Sarah asked when she noticed that both their hands were behind them.

The twins smiled at each other, and pulled two cards from behind them. "Surprise!" They exclaimed.

Sarah took the cards from them, and examined them. Levi's was a green, and he had painted what Sarah thought was supposed to be a vase and flowers on the cover, with the words 'Welcome home Mommy and Baby.' on the inside and had signed it 'Love Levi'. Lisa's, while conveying the same message was purple, with pink and red cut out small hearts stuck on the cover.

Sarah's heart fluttered as she looked at the cards. Her children were just so wonderful. "Thank you very much. They're very nice." She complimented them.

They smiled at the compliment. "Thank you." They gushed.

"Molly cut out the hearts for me, and CJ stuck them on with the glue." Lisa said.

"And Shamia and Emily helped too. They drawed-"

"Drew." Sarah corrected.

"They drew the vase and flowers, and I painted it all by myself." He said proudly.

"Well, I love them. Thank you." Sarah said, rewarding them with kisses. "I'll put them on my dresser so that they will always be in my line of sight."

"Grandma said to ask you what you wanted to eat." Levi said.

Sarah looked pensive for a moment. "Tell Grandma I'm not hungry tight now, but when I get up, I'd like some tea and maybe a sandwich."

"OK Mommy, " he said and hopped off the bed and left the room.

Sarah then turned to her daughter. "Aren't you going with your brother Lisa?"

She shook her head no, and snuggled under the covers with her mother. "I'm wanna take a nap with you Mummy. Is that OK?"

"Of course that's OK sweetie." Sarah said and pulled Lisa closer.

"I love you Mummy." Lisa smiled up at her and lifted her head slightly to kiss her on the cheek.

"I love you too baby girl, so, so much." The pair was asleep within minutes.

* * *

><p><strong><span>~0\~**

Chuck gently shook Sarah awake. "Hey. Sarah, wake up. Someone's awake and he wants to see his Mommy."

"Hey." Sarah smiled. "Where is he?" she asked, rubbing the last vestiges of sleep from her eyes.

"Emma is changing him. But I brought something for you to eat before you started nursing him." Chuck said, gesturing to a tray which he had rested on the other side of the bed.

Sarah propped herself against the headboard and smiled. "Thank you." She said when Chuck placed the tray in her lap. Chuck or more likely Emma had prepared a club sandwich, salad, a fruit salad and a cup of tea for her. "Where did Lisa go?" Sarah asked Chuck upon noticing she was gone.

"She woke up a while ago. Shamia was reading to her and Levi downstairs, but I think Molly took them into the playroom to go through their number and word charts."

She began eating and listened to Chuck as he recounted the recent happenings with their other children. She shared her food with Chuck as she really wasn't that hungry and wouldn't eat it all by herself. When Emma entered with their son, Sarah had finished eating and she and Chuck were laughing about the kids playing blueberry basketball, an idea they had apparently gotten from Morgan. "I think he's hungry Sarah; he's beginning to get cranky." Emma said.

Chuck moved the tray away from her and helped Sarah to reposition the pillows so she could be more comfortable. Once Sarah was set, Emma handed off her grandson to his mom and left the room, taking the tray away.

Sarah smiled at Jonathan, and he looked up at her, his bright blue eyes curious. "Hey baby, it's Mommy." Sarah greeted. "And your Daddy is over there." she motioned to Chuck who was looking for something in the closet. Jonathan however didn't seem to keen on Sarah talking and began fussing in his mother's arms. "OK, OK. You're hungry." Sarah said. "Just give me a minute."

"Need any help?" Chuck asked, having come out of the walk in closet with the nursing pillow. He walked over to Sarah and placed it on her lap, allowing Sarah to prop him on it.

"No, I think I'm good." Sarah said, as she undid the nursing bra and allowed John to latch on. "Ow!"

"You OK?" Chuck asked, instantly concerned.

"Yea," Sarah said looking down at her son "Just forgot how much this hurts at first." she told Chuck.

"Oh yea. I'll go see if I can find the cream for you." Chuck said rising from the bed. "It's probably in that bag of unopened stuff in the closet in the nursery."

"Ok thank you." Sarah said to Chuck as he left the room.

"Anything for you babe."

Just as Chuck had guessed, the cream was in the closet. When he returned, Sarah had finished nursing Jonathan and was rubbing his back. "I found it." he announced.

"Oh great. Do you mind taking him?"

"Sarah! Come on, do I mind? It'd be my pleasure."

Chuck took Jonathan from Sarah, and smiled down at him. "Hey little guy."

"He hasn't burped yet Chuck." Sarah cautioned him.

"Oh." He then took the burping cloth and tossed it over his left shoulder, then rested the baby against his shoulder. "Are you sure you're up for company?" Chuck asked Sarah who was now applying the cream. "Cause we could totally kick them out."

"Yea I'm sure." Sarah laughed. "It should be um, interesting, considering that Carina and Zondra are also coming over."

"And there's never a dull moment with the CATS." Chuck agreed. "I must admit though, they do seem very taken with him already."

"Yea, they most definitely do." agreed Sarah.

**/\**

While Chuck and Sarah were upstairs, Carina and Zondra arrived earlier than they had been thinking. When they arrived, they were bombarded by the exuberant younger Bartowski siblings who dragged them off into the playroom.

"Auntie Carina! Do you want to play with our new Lego set? Daddy bought them for us last month." Levi told her.

"You always want to play with Legos Levi. Legos, Legos, Legos **all** the time." Lisa bemoaned. "We should put the puzzle with Bert in the park together."

Zondra and Carina looked at each other, eyes wide. Apparently the twins were taking after their older siblings with the bickering. Carina cocked her head to the side, and motioned with her eyes to Zondra to do something.

"Nuh uh." Levi insisted. "We put the Star Wars puzzle together at Uncle Morgan's yesterday, we shouldn't play with puzzles again."

Lisa placed her hands on her hips defiantly, and tried to imitate the mental image of her mother when she was trying to get her point across. She still couldn't figure out how to arch one eyebrow like her mother did, so she omitted the raised eyebrow. Lisa stared down her older twin- not literally as he was a bit taller than her- and tried to look as serious as she could. Her chestnut brown eyes had a flair of ire building up in htem and she pouted her lips. "Auntie Zondra, don't you think we should put the puzzle together? Or play with Legos?"

Three sets of eyes turned to her. Zondra shifted on her feet slightly. "Um, I think that we should do something that both of you would enjoy. OK? How 'bout we watch a movie?" Knowing Chuck, there had to be quite a collection somewhere around the house.

"Yea!" came the twins' enthusiastic reply. Thankfully for the two spies, the twins had the same two favourite movies and knew where they were kept. After a couple of minutes discussion choosing between Fozen and The Lion King, they settled on the latter.

"Do you know the words to Hakuna Matata?" Levi asked them in the middle of the movie when Pumbaa and Timon began singing the song.

Both Zondra and Carina shook their heads no. "We could teach you." The twins told them excitedly, eager to teach their Aunties something new.

***Twenty minutes later***

Sarah entered the living room, with Chuck holding Jonathan. From the staircase, they could hear voices singing Hakuna Matata and that had intrigued them. They stepped back, observing the scene before them. The twins had somehow managed to get both Zondra and Carina off of the couch and dancing. Emma was sitting in the one-seater, laughing and enjoying the impromptu performance and clapping along.

"Hakuna Matata, what a wonderful phrase." Lisa began in a high-pitched voice.

"Hakuna Matata, ain't no passing craze." Levi continued.

"Sing Auntie Carina!" Lisa told her.

"It means no worries for the rest of your days." Carina managed to say despite the laughter which bubbled in her throat.

"Now you Auntie Zondra." Levi said.

"It's our problem free philosophy, Hakuna Matata."

They skipped the other verses and went straight to the chorus. "Hakuna Matata!" They shrieked repeatedly, dancing clumsily and bumping into furniture pieces occasionally. Chuck who surprisingly had managed to keep his laughter from spilling over, cleared his throat. Only Emma noticed him, and the others continued their performance.

"Wow, I never thought I'd see the day where you two would be singing Disney songs." Sarah said, walking further in to the room. She paused the DVD player and looked at them. That got their attention as they turned to find the source of their interruption.

Carina and Zondra blushed slightly. "Chuck, Sarah? How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough." said Sarah cryptically.

"Looks like you guys are having fun." Chuck smiled. He sat down with Jonathan and the twins climbed up next to him. Their faces were flushed and their eyes were dancing with amusement.

"We were Daddy!" Levi enthused.

"Didn't we sound awesome Daddy?" Lisa peered at him.

"Both of you were. If I didn't have Jonathan in my arms I'd be leading the standing ovation for you and shouting 'Bravo' and sending flowers at your feet." Chuck complimented.

"What's a standing ovation Daddy?" Lisa asked.

"It's where members from the audience- that means the people who have been watching your performance- stand and clap for you because your performance was excellent." explained Chuck.

"But why would they throw flowers? When you give Mommy flowers, you don't throw them at her feet." Lisa, always curious asked.

"If seems kinda mean to throw them at someone. Why wouldn't you just give them the flowers in their hands?" Lvi added, just as curious. "That way, the person couls put them in a vase and look at them all the time; just like when you give Mommy flowers. "

"It's just a practice that developed over time. It lets people know that their performance was really enjoyable." Zondra piped up.

"Oh okayyy." the twins drawled as they processed the information.

"Now do the two of you clever bots have any more questions?" Emma asked them. They replied no.

"Carina, Zondra, I didn't know you could break it down like that!" Chuck teased.

Carina plopped down on the other couch next to Sarah. "Take me up on my offer to go to a club and I'll show you some real dance moves."

"Aren't you a little old to still be going to clubs Carina?" Zondra chided. "On second thought, don't answer that, I forgot who I was talking to for a minute. You're the self-acclaimed 'Life of all parties." Zondra busied herself by fanning herself with her hand. "I think I'll sit the next one out. I don't know where Levi and Lisa get all of that energy from, but I'm tired."

"Well, you were doing that chicken feet dance for quite a while and you are getting old, so I guess that explains it." Sarah laughed at her.

"Hey!" Zondra cried affronted. "I do not dance like a chicken!"

"And dancing like a chicken is way better than those awkward nerdy movements, snapping and side-to-side stepping thing you used to do way back then. Limbs flailing everywhere...I was embarrassed for you. Good thing you took me up on my offer to teach you some moves or I don't know how you would've turned out!" added Carina.

Sarah threw a throw-cushion at her, but Carina dodged it at the last minute. She stuck her tongue out and laughed at Sarah. "Aye, Walker, you're getting soft." Zondra mused.

"Oh shut up!" Sarah glared at them, but the smile did not leave her face.

Carina threw back the cushion, and Sarah caught it mid-air. Sarah smiled satisfyingly and the twins giggled at seeing their Mom and Aunties having a pillow fight.

"I może jeszcze kopnąć zarówno swoich osłów. (I can still kick both of your asses)." Sarah growled in Polish.

"Sureeeeeeee." Carina drawled in a tone which conveyed that she didn't believe her. "Time and place Walker. That's all I need. Time and place. "

"You know we can hold our own against you. Think of it this way, when we do beat you, you can blame it on being a bit out of sorts considering you just had a baby." They weren't being completely serious. Both knew of Sarah's prowess when it came to fighting- whether it be her hand to hand combat skills, her deadly ninja assassin or her knife skills. But they did love to tease her about losing her edge.

Zondra looked over to the baby in Chuck's arms, whom the twins were now singing to softly. "We didn't wake him did we?" asked Zondra apprehensively. "I didn't think we were that loud."

"Oh no." Sarah said. "I think little Jonathan over there enjoyed your performance quite a lot. Don't you agree Chuck?"

"Yup. I just wish we'd recorded though." Chuck said forlornly.

"It's better that you didn't. I'd hate to destroy a cam recorder over such a petty incident." Carina said trying to inject malice in her voice.

"Mom, where are the rest of the kids?"

"CJ said he was going to do his homework in his room. Molly, Shamia and Emily went to take Chazzie for a walk."

"OK. I hope they don't go to far." Sarah said a tad concerned.

"I told Molly not to go any further than two blocks. They should be back soon." Emma assured her. "It's almost time for lunch anyway, and knowing them, they won't miss lunch. I really don't know where they put it all."

"See Chuck, I told you they have your appetite."

"Grandma, can we have PBJ sandwiches for lunch?"

"And milk?"

"Hmm, I don't know." Sarah said thoughtfully, "You two have been eating it too often in my opinion."

"But it's our favourite." Lisa complained.

"But it isn't very healthy." Chuck told them.

"Please?"

"I think your Grandma has something else in mind for lunch." The twins pouted and groaned. "But maybe after you eat and take your nap, you can have the sandwich as a snack when you wake up." Sarah placated them.

"Yes!" The twins high-fived each other.

**/\**

By the time Molly, Emily and Shamia returned from walking the dog, Emma, with the help of the adults, minus Sarah had finished preparing lunch which consisted of baked sweet potato, lamb chops and salad. Jonathan had fallen asleep, so all of them been able to sit down together to enjoy it.

"Sarah, stop playing with the salad and eat." Emma instructed.

"Yea Mom!" CJ piped up. "Eat your salad" He held up his fork with his serving of salad up to Sarah.

She laughed and waved his hand away. "I'm not eating yours too CJ." She played with her salad a bit more, before taking a forkful of it into her mouth. She chewed and swallowed it quickly, making a happy moan afterward. Carina had made baby spinach salad with roasted red onions, pecans, dried cranberries, crumbled goat cheese and citrus dressing...She hated spinach but decided the salad wasn't all that bad. _Who knew Carina could be trusted in the kitchen to do more than boil a pot of water?_

"Happy now Mom?"

"Ecstatic." Emma deadpanned. "Carina, Zondra, the same goes for you too. Eat your salad."

The children and Chuck giggled at the adults being ordered to eat, in a similar fashion that they often were.

"I'm more of a meat kind of gal." Zondra said looking at her almost empty plate, save the salad. Carina had already begun to eat hers. Emma shot Zondra a disapproving look so with a groan, she began eating too.

"Carina, the salad was wonderful." Emma complimented after everyone had finished eating. "Sarah, it wasn't so bad, was it?" Emma asked.

"I guess not." Sarah muttered. "And I need to stay healthy while nursing him, so as they say, mother knows best."

"Mother knows best is from Tangled Mommy." said Shamia. "You want to go outside? Oh why, Rapunzel?"

Emily began singing. "Look at you, as fragile as a flower. Still a little sapling, just a sprout. You know why we stay up in this tower. That's right, to keep you safe and sound, dear."

"Oh not this again!" CJ wailed. The girls continued to sing, going louder just to irk their brother. "Mom, Dad, Grandma do something!"

"Don't you think your sisters have lovely singing voices CJ?"

"More like nails being scraped on a chalkboard."

"CJ, that's not very nice." Zondra commented.

As was to be expected, his comment set them off into and argument. Sarah decided to intervene. "OK, Emily, Shamia, and CJ can't be so loud. Stop all the arguing before you wake your brot-" She didn't get to finish as the incessant wails came from Jonathan in the living room, letting everyone in the room know he was awake. Sarah sighed. "Before you wake your brother up." Sarah finished and left the room to tend to her son.

"CJ! Look what you did." Emily accused.

"Me? What did I do?"

"You made him wake up. It's all your fault that he's crying now."

"No it isn't." He glared at his younger sisters and folded his arms. "It's more your fault than it is mine."

"The three of you, get upstairs now." Chuck commanded them. With little hesitation, they obeyed their father. From his tone, they knew they were in trouble.

"Oooooh someone's in trouble." sang Levi after hearing his father's tone.

"Big trouble." agreed Lisa.

"We will stay down here and help Emma clean up." Zondra said.

Chuck thanked them and headed upstairs. He found the three children in his and Sarah's room, sitting on his bed. Chuck entered and closed the door behind him. He looked at each child, his gaze penetrating, which caused them to avoid contact. After pacing a couple of times, Chuck stood in front of them. "The three of you and myself need to have a serious conversation." Chuck told his oldest children.

"What about?" CJ asked uneasily. They already had a pretty good idea about what his father would be talking about, but hoped to play coy.

"Would the three of you like to tell me what on God's green earth is wrong with you? What's with all this constant bickering and insults You three are the oldest, and you know the twins look up to you. If they see the three of you always quarrelling and insulting each other, then they will start to do that too. And that is not OK. I will not have a house full of children who are rude to each other and bickering all the time. Do you understand me?"

The three muttered fine.

"I know sometimes you won't agree on everything. But please, try to behave yourselves. There are better ways to communicate without hurling insults at each other and yelling. That brings me to my second point; what happened just now will not happen again. You know that babies are easily offset by loud noises so yelling is a no-no. It makes him unhappy, it puts your mother under more stress and then she will be unhappy. The snowball effect would continue, and then I'd be unhappy because I don't like seeing your Mom upset. Honestly, I don't think any of you like seeing your Mom upset or stressed. Do you?" They shook their heads no. "Good. So neither of you should be yelling or carrying on with such behaviour from now on. If it happens again, you will be punished. So here's what's going to happen: you three will behave, if you want to yell, I suggest you go outside."

"OK Dad." CJ relented contritely. He knew his father was serious when it came to punishments and he did not want any of his gadgets taken away.

"How do you guys like having another baby in the house?" Chuck asked as he wanted to make sure there wasn't any resentment.

"It's OK." CJ shrugged.

"Well, I hope you enjoy it, because he is the last baby your Mom and I are gonna have."

"I can't wait until he's a bit older though, then we can teach him all sorts of cool stuff!" Emily enthused.

"Yea, I'm sure he's very lucky to have you three-all five of you for that matter as siblings." Chuck told them. "I love you."

"Love you too Daddy."

"Now, can I get a hug?" Chuck asked. Hugs and kisses were more forthcoming from the girls, but CJ eventually gave his father what he considered to be a man-hug. Chuck smiled at them before leaving the bedroom.

"Sooooo," CJ drawled. "You guys know I actually like you. Right?"

"You mean that you love us?" Emily corrected.

"Yea, yea, whatever." CJ replied. "Anyway, I don't really mean any of the mean stuff I say to you. You are pretty cool sisters."

"We don't mean most of the stuff we say about you either CJ." Shamia smiled. "It's just you're pretty bossy and mean sometimes."

Emily took a pillow and hit him around his head. "Oh, you are so gonna get it." CJ threatened and took another pillow, and lurched at Emily. She was hit lightly on the forearm and stuck her tongue out at her brother.

"Pillow fight!" The youngest of the three decreed before attacking her sister with another fluffy pillow. Soon, the sounds of heavy breathing, pillows making contact with skin and high pitched shrieks were coming from the room. They were breathing heavily and laughing. After a couple of rounds, they flopped down onto the bed. "I think I won." Shamia said as she tried to catch her breath.

CJ huffed. "Let's agree to disagree."

"You're actually a nice big brother CJ." Emily complimented.

"Thanks." He smiled at them and got off the bed. He then began to pick up the pillows. "You guys are gonna help me straighten the bed aren't you? You know how Mom gets when they aren't made up. I think it'd be worse if it's her bed that we rumple." He'd never quite understood why his parents' bed needed so many pillows anyway. But Ellie had said something about more pillows giving the room something extra when Chuck and Sarah had changed their Queen sized bed to a King sized.

"Sure." Emily offered. "Besides, we do it better anyway." She smirked and pushed her honey coloured hair behind her ear.

Working together, they were able to tidy up the bed in a few minutes. CJ thanked them. "So, it's agreed we'll be nicer to each other and try to make things easier for Mom and Dad with the baby and help out with the twins if we can?" The girls agreed and smiled at him.

"Oh, and by the way, I love you too." Shamia told her brother. She then kissed him on the cheek before skipping out of the room.

"We both do." Emily said and gave him a kiss as well before going to her room.

CJ smiled when they left. His sisters weren't all that bad he thought.

**/\**

"You picked a good one Walker." Carina commented.

"Yea, you did good. Really good actually." Zondra agreed.

_I really did_. Sarah looked across the room to see Chuck and the children sitting on the floor and playing a game of Ludo.

Usually, when it came to board games they would have been playing Monopoly, but when the twins wanted to be involved, it was either Ludo, Twister or Snakes and Ladders. A temporary ban had been placed on the older Bartowski children from playing Monopoly since they usually got too loud and accusations of cheating- mostly about someone stealing money from the bank- would run rampant. In Sarah's mind, the other board games were safer bets.

"I'm very happy for you."

"Group hug." Zondra said and pulled her two closest friends together.

"I'm really happy you guys are here...sharing all of this with me." Sarah told them when they stepped out of the embrace. Her mind briefly recalled a conversation with Chuck in the Buymore

_"I could've been more sensitive before about your friendship with Morgan. It's just... It's difficult; I don't really have anyone in my life like that who cares about me..."_

_"Yea you do.."_

Making and keeping friends had been an issue for her, but she was glad that she had both Carina and Zondra. They might not have lived close to her, though that could soon change, and they might have been her best friends since childhood, but that didn't matter. Their friendship had grown stronger and they all cared deeply for each other. Sarah was glad they got to show this side of them sometimes- the mellow side which proved they were so much more than spies. They were two of her best friends, and her sisters... They were family. Sarah was interrupted from her musings when CJ came into the kitchen.

"Mommmmmm!" CJ drawled. "Jonathan is awake and I think he is hungry again."

"Your Grandma said she got him to fall asleep a couple of minutes ago."

"He's beginning to get restless, but then again that could be because Emily and Shamia won't leave him alone. Seriously! Grandma barely put him down for a second and those two rush up to the bassinet." CJ finished and shook his head.

"CJ, you know they're just excited about him finally being here." Sarah defended the girls.

"Pft! Well so am I, but that doesn't mean I have to be up in his face twenty-four seven. Gosh, can't the little guy get a break?" He muttered to himself. He then went to the fridge and took out an apple before leaving the kitchen.

Sarah turned to her friends. "You see what I have to deal with?" She joked. Sarah finished the rest of her juice before going to see if she could get him back to sleep. In the living room, Chuck and the other children were trying to calm down Jonathan. The twins had tried singing their favourite nursery rhymes- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Little Boy Blue- but that didn't work. The girls had tried shaking the rattles in front of him, but that also failed. Chuck was now walking around the room and rubbing the baby's back.

"Maybe he needs changing." Emily suggested.

"I did that before he fell asleep." Chuck said.

"Then maybe he's hungry."

"But Mommy fed him not too long ago." Shamia offered.

"I'll take him." Sarah said already walking over to Chuck. "Maybe he wasn't finished nursing."

He turned to her. "No, no, it's fine. we've got it under control. You can go back with Carina and Zondra."

Sarah quirked her eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. I don't think he's hungry. He probably isn't accustomed to the bassinet yet. And that, added to all the foreign noises down here, wouldn't do well for his sleeping patterns."

"OK fine."

"Great, I'll just take him up to the nursery since it's quieter up there." Chuck said and left humming to the child on his way upstairs.

***Fifteen minutes later***

Emma knocked softly on the nursery door and popped her head in. Chuck was sitting in the rocking chair softly humming to the baby. He's had gone upstairs over ten minutes ago to put him down. "He's not asleep yet?" she questioned when she saw Jonathan's bright blue eyes staring back up at her.

"Ah, no. I think he's fighting sleep so it might be a while until he falls asleep." Chuck replied, smiling down at him. "I know I shouldn't let him get so accustomed to falling asleep in my arms but..." Chuck trailed off. He and Sarah had learnt that lesson early on with CJ when he refused to sleep in his crib. They had let him sleep on either of their chests; mostly Chuck's or in between the two of them. Whenever they had tried to put him down, he would immediately start crying and fussing. It had taken them a while to break that habit.

"I could try to get him to fall asleep if you want to go back downstairs with the others." Emma offered.

"OK. Thanks." Chuck said. It would be nice to spend some more time with his other children, considering that a lot of his and Sarah's energy would be going to the baby in the next couple of weeks. Chuck gently handed the baby over to her Mom. He fussed and stretched his arms back out, as though he missed the comforts of his father's arms. "Shh, shh" Chuck soothed. "Grandma's gonna hold you." Emma sat down in the rocking chair and adjusted the blankets.

"I hope you don't think I'm smothering you." Emma said.

Chuck, who had been tidying the top of the dresser shook his head. "No, not at all." He smiled at his mother-in-law. "I'm glad that you're here. I know it can't be easy with Molly being off at college. Besides, the kids love having you around so often, and Lord knows Sarah and I are gonna need your help around here."

Emma smiled. She was very thankful that she and Sarah had reconnected and that she was in her grandchildren's lives. "I'm glad to chip in wherever I can. You know I love you guys."

"And we love you too Emma. I'm gonna go downstairs. If he gets hungry again, I'll let Sarah know."

Emma looked down at her grandson, whose eyelids were already beginning to droop. "Don't worry. I think we have everything covered."

Chuck smiled appreciatively at Emma mother and kissed both her and the baby on the cheek before leaving the nursery. Before heading downstairs, Chuck stopped by CJ's room, to find him playing a computer game. after making sure he had not neglected his homework in favour of playing on the computer, he checked his Math and English homework. There were a few errors so Chuck pointed them out to him and he did the corrections. before kissing him on the cheek. Downstairs, chuck found the kids were watching a cartoon with their two Aunties, three large bowls of pop corn sharing among them.

"Where's Sarah?' Sarah asked the assembled party.

"She got a call from the office and went to the study so she could take it." replied Zondra.

Chuck had given specific instructions not to disrupt Sarah while she was on leave, so he knew the problem would've had to been major for the office to disobey his instructions and on a Saturday no less.

"What was the problem." Chuck asked Sarah when she returned a few minutes later.

"Theres a problem with the land we wanted to build the new store in North Carolina. They wanted an extra fifty thousand, but I convinced the contractors that what we are paying them is already way more than they would get otherwise and told them not to be greedy or we'd take business elsewhere. They saw my reasoning and construction should begin next week Monday.

"Mummy, I'm thirsty." Levi moaned.

"Me too." Lisa piped up.

Sarah looked at her watch. "You just had a glass of juice."

"But my teacher says we are growing children and if we wanna be strong, we need to drink lots and lots and lots."

"Yea, she said drink lots of milk and we will be strong."

"Oh really?" Sarah rose her eyebrow. "And didn't she also say to eat your vegetables? I don't hear you two asking for lots and lots vegetables."

"That's because vegetables don't taste that good Mommy." was Levi's quick retort.

"Yea, but milk tastes really, really, good."

"OK. OK." Sarah relented. "You can have a glass of milk. But after that, it's nap time."

**/\**

The children had retired to their rooms for a bit. The twins had, after much insistence that they didn't need a nap since they were not babies, but big children, finally drifted off to sleep. Zondra and Carina had gone back to their hotel to shower and change before coming back later in the evening. Chuck and Sarah were in their room, lying down in bed just watching their son in the middle.

"Chuck, you're staring at me." Sarah giggled even though her eyes remained in her son.

"No I wasn't."

Sarah looked at him, a smirk already on her face.

"Fine, yes I was." Chuck admitted. "But not in a stalker kind if creepy way. It's just that you're so beautiful. Who could blame me for staring?"

Sarah blushed. "You're not so bad yourself."

"Please! I'm fantastic."

Sarah looked at him with love and adoration. "Yea you are."

Sarah leant over and brushed her lips across his before pulling away. Chuck sighed contentedly. "Sometimes this seems so surreal."

"I know what you mean." Sarah agreed. Sometimes she had to pinch herself to make sure it wasn't her brain playing her dreams before her. She had everything she wanted, a wonderful husband whom she loved immensely, wonderful children and a large family unit though unconventional which was just as strong as any, in addition to a job which she loved and her dream house.

"I'm very thankful for you, the kids and the life we have created."

"So am I." Sarah said. "I love you."

"Love you too." Chuck smiled. They spent more time looking at Jonathan with smiles on their faces, Chuck dozed off as well, and Sarah laid there watching him. He was so peaceful when he slept. She leaned over and lightly brushed her fingers over his face and smoothed back his hair. Gosh she loved this man. Jonathan who seemed to delight in taking short naps woke up and peered quizzically at his mother. He yawned again and stretched his already long body out on the blanket.

"You can't be hungry again. Are you?" Sarah asked him. His face scrunched and Sarah knew he would soon begin to cry. "Just give me a minute." Sarah pleaded. She didn't want his crying to wake Chuck up so she quickly unbuttoned her blouse and undid her nursing bra. Taking the fussy baby in her arms, Sarah cradled him against her chest, allowing him to feed and rested back against the pillows. "Shh, shh. There's no need to cry, Mummy's got you now."

After what seemed like forever to Sarah, Jonathan was full and released her. Sarah knew she would have trouble with this one. Though he was hungry, he would refuse nurse and Sarah would have to coax him into nursing. If he was so resistant to nurse, Sarah wondered what would happen when Chuck did the early morning feedings with a bottle. Sarah burped him and laid him back down on the blanket, covering them all with a thin sheet since it was the middle of the day. She and Jonathan dozed off a short while later.

Chuck awoke a short while later to find her shaking a small rattle over Jonathan's head. "Hey." Sarah greeted him.

"Hi." Chuck yawned. "I can't believe I feel asleep."

"It's OK, so did we. Besides, we will need to take the rest whenever we can get it." Sarah informed him.

Chuck nodded. With the new baby and their other children, he was sure he would not be getting much sleep in the near future. "Hey little guy." Chuck talked to his son. He took another rattle from beside Sarah and shook it. Leave it to Beckman to find an America-themed mobile and baby rattles which had the flag of America on them.

"I'm gonna have a shower before everyone starts to arrive." Sarah said and hopped up from the bed and began undressing.

"You know what? I've got the perfect idea for how to introduce Johnathan to the rest of the family." Chuck said, Sarah stopped what she was doing and gave him her full attention. "We can do a re-enactment of that scene from The Lion King when Rafiki holds up Simba to the entire kingdom. I'm sure I can find either the DVD or the soundtrack easily.

"That's assuming the twins haven't knocked it around somewhere." Sarah told him knowing that the kids tended to be careless at times. "And you forget most of the family has already met him. It's only Ellie's and Morgan's kids and Gertrude who haven't yet."

"You're missing the whole point Sarah." Chuck exasperated. "It's the circle of life. And Jonathan has completed our circle...Now that I think about it, Casey could fit the part of Rafiki...He takes great delight in hitting me upside the head. Only thing it's not to give me some life lessons like: 'The past can hurt, but the way I see it, you can either run from it, or, learn from it'. He just does it to rile me up."

"Or Maybe Morgan would make a better Rafiki." Sarah mused.

"That's so true. He is the hairiest out of all of us." Chuck agreed, pondering the idea.

Sarah laughed at him. "Um, OK Chuck. You think about that idea some more. I'm going to shower."

"What? You don't like my idea? Tell me." Chuck called out to her. Chuck then reverted John to the position in his arms. "You like my idea don't you little guy? Lion King is a classic." Chuck said.

Jonathan looked up at his father, his blue eyes filled of wonder, but then his countenance changed. Chuck took a whiff and shrugged. "Well I'll take that as a no." Chuck said, making his way to the nursery to change his son's diaper.

* * *

><p><strong>~0/~**

Sarah entered the bedroom to find Jonathan lying on their bed, boxed in by four pillows while Chuck was finishing getting ready. Chuck turned momentarily to look at her. "Hey beautiful."

"Hello handsome." She replied sweetly. Sarah then stepped over to the bed to her son. "And hey sweetie." He kicked his feet and blew small bubbles with his mouth in response and Sarah smiled down at him. She then went to her chest of drawers and began taking out her under clothes.

"You realise that in the time it took you to shower, I wiped Jonathan down, your Mom dressed him and I showered." Chuck commented.

Sarah finished clasping her bra and laughed lightly. She then walked over to Chuck and wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head against his hairy chest. Chuck slipped his hands around her waist and pulled his wife closer to him. "I love you Chuck." Sarah said.

"Love you too." Chuck replied earnestly. The two stayed in the embrace for a while, before deciding they should finish getting dressed and join the rest of their family together.

Sarah stepped out of the embrace and went over to her side of the walk-in closet. Sarah huffed loudly as she looked around her closet. It was difficult deciding on something to wear. Her stomach was still a lot more pregnant looking than she would've liked, so most of her pre-baby clothes were not an option and the maternity ones, though fashionable and comfortable were not appealing to her at the moment. Shuffling through the dresses on the hangers, she came upon a cute patterned frock with a flared skirt. Thankfully, the sleeveless dress featured a smocked button down bodice so she would be able to breast feed Johnathan easily during the evening.

She slipped it on quickly and then went to her makeup counter. After applying a faint hint of facial powder and a thin trace of lipstick and brushing her hair , she was ready to head downstairs.

"You ready?" She called out to Chuck who was enthralled with babbling to Jonathan.

He looked up at her and smiled widely. "You look absolutely gorgeous."

Sarah walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you. You don't look too shabby yourself."

"Careful, I don't think my wife likes it when other women flirt with me." Chuck warned.

"Oh really?" Sarah played along. "So if I had a sudden urge to kiss you right now, would that be a problem?"

"I guess not." He smiled at her. Finally giving up the charade, Chuck pulled her down in to his lap and kissed her passionately.

"Wow!" Sarah finally managed to breathe after the kiss ended. "That was um, that was, wow!"

Chuck smirked. "I'm glad I still have some effect on you after all these years." Chuck said.

Sarah leaned her forehead against his, and looked deeply into his hazel eyes. "Have I told you how much I love you today?"

"Maybe a couple of times, but I'll never get tired of hearing it. So if you want to say it again, feel free."

"Chuck Bartowski, I love you, and only you with my entire heart, my soul and every fibre of my being."

Chuck said: "Well after you saying that so eloquently, how do I even match up to that?" He joked. "Sarah Bartowski, I love you with everything in me. My love for you is an appetite which can never me satisfied or surfeited."

They smiled at each other again, before leaning in again for a brief kiss. Sarah got off of his lap, intending to go reapply her lipstick.

"But before we go downstairs, I've got something for you." Chuck got up and crossed the room, going to his drawer. Sarah claimed his position on the bed and began cooing to Johnathan. Chuck returned with a small box in his hands and knelt before her.

"It's a bit late for a push present isn't it?" quipped Sarah.

"Just take it." Chuck urged.

"You bought me jewellery?" Sarah said taking in the box. "Chuck you didn't have to."

"We do have a tradition to maintain." Chuck said and handed her the box. Sarah traced the outside and hesitated. "Go on, open it." Chuck encouraged.

Smiling, Sarah lifted the top from the box. Inside, she found a charmed number six. Chuck took the charm from her and after a moment of fumbling, attached it to her silver charm bracelet which rested on her right hand. Sarah held up her hand, looking at the bracket before Sarah pulled him closer to her into a loving kiss. "Thank you Chuck."

"You're welcome. Now my knees hurt, so can I please get up?"

"You must be getting old!" Sarah joked when he sat next to her.

"You forget that you're older than me." Chuck laughed.

She glared at him momentarily before joining in with his laughter. "Only by a couple of months Chuck." Her eyes once again drifted to the charm bracelet, and her finger traced each charm. Over the years, she had come to own a substantial collection of beautiful jewellery, but she treasured some pieces more than others. Her wedding and engagement rings and the charm bracelet were three of those. The bracelet was a staple of her wardrobe and now housed about twelve charms, including the newest one.

"It's beautiful Chuck." Sarah admired it.

"See, I told you I've got a little shopping sense. Though the girls may tend to disagree." He smiled also looking at the bracelet, glad that he had given it to her all those years ago in the Buy More. Sarah loved the bracelet, and so did his children. They had always asked the meaning or significance of each charm and now they knew them well. Jonathan, unhappy with the lack of attention, began kicking his sock-clad feet in the air. Chuck cradled him to his chest. "Well Jonathan, are you excited to meet the entire family?"

**/\**

Since it was a Saturday evening, no one was feeling the desire to cook, not even Ellie, so they decided to order four large pizzas.

Alex had brought over a chocolate cake and Gertrude had made a fruit salad, so dessert was taken care of. After eating, the older kids helped the guys to clean up and put the plastic plates and cups in a garbage. meanwhile, the younger children had slipped out into the family room to watch a movie.

The ladies were now in the living room. While Sarah was sitting on the couch, Carina and Zondra plopped down besides her, each with a shopping bag in hand. "Since we didn't make the baby shower, I figure this is a sorta make-up."

Sarah took the two bags and began going through them, examing the pieces. Zondra and Carina had bought a variety of cute clothes and in different sizes. The last item to come out of Carina's bag was a lace nightie set. Sarah held it up to her, blushing slightly. "And this looks like a gift someone would give out at a bridal shower." Sarah said.

"Nah Walker." Carina shrugged. "It's a little too tame for that don't you think? Seriously, remember the one I gave you for the honeymoon...It had half as much fabric and what little fabric there was was sheer."

Sarah blushed again. That piece of negligee hadn't stayed on her very long during the honeymoon. "You're incorrigible Carina."

"You will thank me later, after this little outfit helps you and Chuckles get back in the swing of things. But a word to the wise, use some protection unless you want to be the re-incarnation of 7th Heaven. You will probably need a walker when Chuck is through with you."

_That sounded oddly like something Casey would say_. "Ok!" Sarah said loudly and clapped her hands, trying to pull the conversation away from delving further into her and Chuck's sex life. "Thank you." Sarah pushed the clothes back down into the bags, slightly embarrassed.

"I'm sure Chuckie will thank me later too."

**/\**

Sarah excused herself from her conversation with Mary and went to answer the door. "Just a minute." She called out. She smiled at the kids as she made her way to the door. The smile remained on her face when she opened the door. When she saw the person on the other side, surprise overtook her. The man in his late-sixties shifted on his feet slightly, betraying that he was a bit nervous despite the calm exterior he was trying to portray.

"Hey Darlin'." Jack greeted her.

"Dad?" Sarah said still surprised. She stepped aside and let him enter the home, closing the door behind her. "What are you doing here?"

Jack scratched the back of his head. "You're not happy to see me?" He asked a bit dejectedly.

"Oh no, I am. Really." Sarah smiled. She then pulled him into a hug. "I'm really glad you're here." Sarah whispered in his ear.

When they stepped out of the embrace, both smiled. "I missed you and when Chuck called and said you'd had the baby, I wanted to see how you were doing...I'm sorry I missed the birth."

Sarah smiled sadly. She was a bit sorry too. "That OK. The point is you're here now. And I, missed you too."

"I've got some stuff in the car for the kids...I wasn't sure what to bring for the baby though...I hope a stuffed animal is OK." Remembering that Sarah had had a stuffed dog called Bunny when she was younger, Jack had picked up a stuffed Dalmatian from the store. For the other children, he'd brought back souvenirs from his trip to San Diego earlier for them. "I contemplated buying clothes but you know I've never been that good with fashion, even if it is only baby clothes. "

"That's fine. He has quite a few already, but it doesn't matter."

"Sarah?" Emma called out. "We were wondering what's taking you so long. Who was at the d-" The words died on her lips when she saw Jack standing there.

"Hello Emma." Jack greeted her.

"Jack." She curtly nodded. "What are you doing here?"

"Daddy came to visit us."

"Oh, I see."

"Can I get you anything Dad? I think there's some pizza left over if Morgan or one of the kids haven't gone back at it."

"No olives?" Jack asked hopefully.

Sarah smiled. "Is there any other way to order a pizza?" As if I would order pizza any other way.

"OK, you sold me. I'll take a slice."

"Do you want something to drink too?"

"Just water would be fine."

"Are you sure?" Sarah prodded. "Casey brought over some scotch...it's not your favourite, but he swears to Reagan that it's good."

"Well if Cop-Face swears by it, then I'll give it a shot." Jack laughed.

"Great!" Sarah smiled. "Come on, I know the kids will be glad to see you, as will everyone else and you can meet your newest grandson."

"I'll be right there." Jack told Sarah.

Emma turned to Jack, her arms folded across her chest.

"From her surprise when she saw me, I'm assuming you didn't tell her I called to say I was coming."

Emma didn't flinch at the accusation. It was a reasonable one to make. But she had learnt early on, not to always hold Jack accountable to his promises. "It wouldn't be the first time you said you'd do something and not do it." Emma scoffed. Jack's face fell and Emma immediately regretted her words. She hadn't realised that she had vocalized her thoughts.

"I'm sorry Jack. That was mean of me."

Jack shrugged, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. "It's OK. I know my track record of keeping my word is far from spectacular."

Emma smiled sadly. Jack had always tried to hide his emotions. He made it seem as if her comment just now was like water off a duck's back- totally insignificant, but she knew it hurt him. "I really am sorry. I know you're trying to be different...to be there for Sarah and our grandchildren. It wasn't fair of me to bring back up the past." They'd both made mistakes when it came to Sarah's childhood, but since Jack had re-entered their lives a little over two years ago. she saw a change in him.

"I guess a leopard trying to change its spots isn't easy."

"I didn't not tell Sarah on purpose." Emma told him. He looked at her questioningly. "When you called this morning, I was dealing with the kids, helping them get ready for when Chuck brought Sarah and Jonathan home, and after that, things got a bit busy. So it slipped my mind. I'm sorry."

"I understand."

"Now come one, everyone is in the living room. I'm sure Sarah is wondering what's keeping us."

"She'll probably be out in a couple of minutes to see if you haven't killed me yet." Jack mused.

"You drive me up a wall sometimes, but If I didn't do it while we were married, I wouldn't now." Emma told him.

Jack laughed. "Lead the way m'lady."

When they hit the archway leading to the living room, the sounds of laughter emanated from the room as the occupants continued to watch a movie. Emma turned to Jack and said: "For the record, I'm glad you're here too." She smiled.

Sarah came up behind them, with the scotch in hand. "Dad, I put the pizza in the microwave." Sarah said as she handed a glass of scotch to her father.

"Thanks Angel."

"You're welcome." Sarah smiled. "I think we've spent enough time out here. Don't you agree?"

"Ok, let's go meet the rest of the family." Said a grinning Sarah.

"Do the honours Sarah." encouraged Emma.

"Look who's here!" Sarah announced. Chuck paused the movie and everyone turned to see their newest guest.

The Bartowski children rushed from their seats to greet him, shouting "Grandpa!" Jack set his glass down and hugged his grandchildren first then greeted everyone else.

Emma lingered back, looking at the scene before her and a small smile began to tug at her lips. Sarah had always been a tough little thing. But she worried about her...growing up mostly with her father, she always kept to herself. Looking at her now, so happy and content, she'd give anything to preserve that. Thankfully, Jack who was now blowing raspberries in Lisa's stomach seemed to be on the same page as her.

**/\**

The laughter of everyone in the living room melded to create a sweet melody. Looking at her large family, Sarah smiled widely. She was thankful she and Chuck had bought such a large home as they were all able to sit comfortably. The kids, minus Levi and Lisa who were on Mary's and Emma's laps respectively were all sitting in the floor, listening with rapt fascination and attentiveness as Jack showed them how to play the shell game. She snuggled closer to Chuck and he kissed her on her temple. Zondra and Carina, who couldn't seem to have enough of the newest addition were fawning over Jonathan. She looked over to the clock, it was 8:45 and she thought that he would soon be hungry and ready for bed, but for now, she was enjoying the time with her family.

The night was drawing to a close. Around nine-thirty, the crowd had begun to dissipate. Oliver had fallen asleep and Ellie had an early shift in the morning, so the Woodcomb family had been the first to leave. Next were Casey and Gertrude, followed soon after by Morgan, Alex and their two children. Since Zondra and Carina were staying for a long while, they accepted Mary's offer to stay with her in her apartment as she had two rooms which were unused unless any of her grandchildren came over. Sarah was glad she would have them around and hoped that they would really follow through on her earlier discussion about retiring from field work. It would be nice to have them around more often or better yet, permanently. Mary had read the Frost Queen to Emily and Shamia, while Zondra and Carina had helped the twins change into their pyjamas, made them brush their teeth and then taken turns in reading them a bed time story. Meanwhile, Jack, Emma and Molly had straightened up downstairs. The five women were the last to leave.

After everyone left, Chuck activated the security systems, and let the dog into the yard for a few minutes before heading back upstairs. He checked on each of his children, making sure they were OK and resting comfortably. Following that, he checked on Jack to make sure he had settled in to the guest bedroom.

"Schnook, Chuck" Jack amended. "I wanted to thank you."

"Getting the guest bedroom ready was nothing Jack."

"Not that. It's no secret I haven't been the world's #1 father. But you are seriously in the running for that. I wanted to thank you for loving Sarah. All I ever wanted for her was to have all the adventures she ever wanted with a man far better than me."

Chuck did not see the point in telling Jack that he could and should have done things better when it came to Sarah's upbringing, so he let it slide. Jack had acknowledged that he had made his mistakes and Sarah, and probably to a lesser extent, Emma, had forgiven him.

""Jack, for the family's sake, Sarah and the kids' especially, I hope you're serious. I know this has been hard for you, adjusting to this sort of family structure, but I do appreciate the effort that you've made, and I know Sarah does too. " He remembered the time, after Jack had helped them pull of the mission with with the Russians. He had came home to the apartment, with the intention of preparing chicken pepperoni. But Sarah had informed him that her father was gone._ 'It's what my Dad does Chuck. He just leaves. Once you know all the cons, you can never be a sucker.'_ Sarah had tried to hide her sadness but he had seen right through her. "She always tried to downplay the effect you had on her when you left, but I saw how much it hurt her. I'm glad that you didn't let her reach her breaking point, or I don't know if she'd ever have let you into her life again."

Jack set his jaw in a firm line, as determination coursed through his veins. "Trust me Chuck, I don't plan on letting my family down ever again." They bade each other good night and Chuck existed the room, leaving Jack to himself.

**/0\**

Chuck began making his way to the bedroom, when he saw the faint glow from the nursery light cast a shadow in the hallway. Chuck walked over to the room and peeped inside to find Sarah sitting in the rocking chair, singing a lullaby to Johnathan. She seemed to sense his presence and looked up, smiling at him. Chuck smiled back and stepped into the room, coming to stand next to her. Wordlessly, he smoothed Johnathan's hair and smiled down at both him and Sarah. He was extremely thankful to have her in his life, granted their relationship had started rocky at first, but now, they had a loving family. He loved her with every fibre of his being and the same went for their children. They meant the world to him. He would do anything to protect them and to make sure they were happy.

Sarah was looking down at her new-born who still had his tiny hand clutched in a fist around her thumb, holding her tight even though he had fallen to sleep. She thought back to her life before Chuck- the scams with Jack, CIA training to be an emotionless spy, Graham's Wild Card Enforcer and the countless missions and shuddered. Since she had met Chuck, she was the happiest she could ever remember. But if she were to choose ten of her best days, the day that she walked into the Burbank Buy More and met the most caring, loving person in her whole life would definitely be number one. Because it was on that day, that she begun a new life. The mission became more than a mission and it was then, that she began to feel as though she was actually living. Coming back to reality, she looked up at her husband, a contented smile on her face and a few tears in her eyes which she quickly blinked away. Chuck crouched down next to her so that they could look into each other's eyes better. Oh, how she loved this man to death. Chuck moved to cup her face in his hands and she gladly leant into his touch, not minding the little tingle of the cool metal from his wedding band on her face. Chuck leant in and kissed her.

They soon decided it was time to put Jonathan in his crib and for them to go to bed. Chuck kissed Jonathan good night and Sarah then walked over to the crib and laid him down. Chuck meanwhile turned on the baby monitors. Afterwards, the parents made their way to their room, with Sarah leaning into Chuck. In their room, Chuck placed the monitor on his side of the dresser before joining Sarah in the bathroom so they could brush their teeth tandem style. Then they went to their sides of the bed and pulled the covers down before sliding in. They turned to face each other and Chuck intertwined his warm feet with Sarah's smaller ones. His hands came to rest on her waist, rubbing small circles on her hip.

"What?" Chuck asked self-consciously when he noticed Sarah staring at him.

"Nothing." replied Sarah. "I just really love you."

"Say it again...and again...and again." Chuck pleaded, punctuating each again with small kisses on her nose, her forehead and the edge of her mouth as a tease. "I'll never get tired of hearing you say that."

"One more time, because it feels really good to say it: I really, really love you Chuck." Sarah says. "You and I, we're perfect for each other."

"Really love me? Or really, really, reallllyyyyyyyyyyyyyy love me?"

"I love you more than Casey loves Reagan. I love you more than anything else in the entire world."

"Wow! I feel so honoured. That's a whole lot of love." Chuck laughed. "Well that's a good thing, because I really, really love you too."

"You know this is one of my favourite times of the day." Sarah told Chuck as she played with the hem of his grey pyjama shirt. "It's my special time of the day. Everything is quiet; even though now that Jonathan's here that quietness will not be regular. The children are asleep and I have you all too myself."

"I know what you mean. I love our kids, but they are a handful."

"Mhmm." Sarah agreed. She bit her lip nervously. They should probably go to sleep soon, considering that she'd have to feed the baby at regular intervals during the night, but she was not that tired at the moment. It was probably because she was still so excited from seeing the entire family earlier. Sarah pressed her body closer to his, reveling in the warmth that Chuck's body provided. Chuck wrapped his arms around her and they began kissing slowly, lovingly. Both knew that anything further would be out of the question until Sarah's body recovered from the birth but that didn't negate the level as to which they enjoyed being close to each other. Just being close to each other was enough intimacy for them right now. Chuck rolled them over so that she was pinned beneath him as they kissed. "Chuck!" Sarah yelped in surprise. He brought his lips to her neck and laughed into her skin, his teeth nipping her slightly. Sarah giggled in between the make out session as they caressed each other. At one point, Chuck bit her lip playfully and she nibbled on his tongue and raked her nails along his back in response.

"Wow, who knew making out could be such fun." Sarah mused. Both were now grinning and their lips well kissed.

"You underestimate the power of the Bartowski charm."

"Nope, I've learnt to never underestimate you." Sarah said truthfully. She trusted him completely and knew he could do basically anything he put his mind to. He liked to say 'You're Sarah Bartowski...You can do anything!' but she thought the same went for him. It was their deep-sated love for each other which made stronger. "What was with all that nipping though?" _Not that I minded._

"Well I figure if you can be a tigress, it's only right for me to be a tiger at some points.

"Good night Chuck."

"Good night Sarah." Chuck kissed her hair. Now that she had given birth, they were finally able to go back to their favourite sleeping position, with him on his back and Sarah lying on her side, using his chest as a pillow.

A couple of minutes later, when the low-frequency sounds of Chuck snoring disrupted the still of the room, Sarah lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him. "Thank you, Chuck." she whispered softly. Thanks to him, she now had a warm, loving family. She cherished each and every one of them from the innermost recesses of her heart. The Sarah Walker from years ago would have never been able to have this, but as Sarah Bartowski laid her head against her husband's chest, her hair sprawling all over him, a smile tugged at her lips. Just before she finally surrendered to sleep, one last conscious thought went through her mind: _I'm living the life I only dreamed of._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated, so feel free to do so (even if it's as a guest). I'm working on some others but school assingments are knocking...more like pounding on my door and demanding my full attention so it'll probably be a couple of weeks before I update this collection.**

**Until next time**

**~xoxo**

**Barbadiangirl.**

**10/25/2014**


	11. Mission: Jason

**A/N#1: *in my best Texan accent* Hey y'all it's me! Remember me?...Anyway, I take this time to thank you guys for all the positive feedback on this collection of stories thus far. It is greatly appreciated. The plot line for this story just sort of popped up and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it and this is the result. Thanks to _charhakids_, my awesome beta! **

**Chapter : Mission: Jason. Words:6905.**

**And one last thing, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!**

* * *

><p>Chuck passed through the dining room, whistling to himself as he made his way to the kitchen for Landon's sippy cup of juice. As he walked by, his eldest daughter, Savannah's laptop chimed, indicating that she had a new email. Not that he meant to snoop, but he was being curious. Since the email page was already on screen, that meant that he didn't have to go through the computer for information. Chuck peeked at the page and saw an email, from Jason. Not being familiar with the name, he opened the email and skimmed over the contents. Apparently Savannah and this Jason guy were to go out this weekend.<p>

Chuck frowned. "We will just see about that." He resolved to ask Sarah what she knew of it and marked the email as unread before continuing on his way to the kitchen.

Chuck carried the cup of juice to Landon who was in the yard with his sisters Savannah and Zachia, playing with their new dog. He left the girls in charge and told them he'd be back soon; he just needed to talk to their mother. Chuck re-entered the house and climbed the stairs two at a time. Bursting into the room, he found Sarah putting clothes into the laundry basket. She looked up at him, quite startled. "Chuck, what's wrong?" She set down the basket and walked over to him. "Are the kids alright?" She asked him when he didn't immediately respond.

"Who is Jason?" Chuck asked bluntly.

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief and went back to gathering laundry. "Which Jason are you referring to?"

"How many do you know?" Chuck questioned.

"Three actually. There's one in Landon's day care class, the President of the PTA at Zachia's school and one that's Savannah's friend."

"Well, I'm assuming the last one is the one that she's going out for pizza with?"

"And you'd be correct." Sarah said.

"And why did no one tell me about this before?"

"Well she told you today didn't she? Honestly Chuck, she was working up the courage to tell you." Sarah noticed the look on Chuck's face. He still couldn't hide his emotions from her. "She did tell you, didn't she?" Chuck was silent. "Chuck, what did you do?"

"I happened to be passing by her laptop when an email came in and my fingers may have innocently opened said email."

"Chuck!" Sarah cried mortified. "You went snooping!"

"Well I wouldn't have had to if I knew what was going on with my own daughter."

"And you wonder why she didn't ask you." Sarah said sarcastically. "You're over reacting Chuck."

"Well maybe if my damn wife had bothered to consult me about such things as our daughter going out with boys I don't know I wouldn't have to over react." Chuck spat.

Sarah's gaze turned icy as she stared down Chuck. She did not like where this conversation was going. With much effort, she managed to keep her voice controlled. "It's only pizza Chuck."

"Pizza my foot." Chuck growled. "Sarah, you know how boys are, especially when they're going through puberty. Their hormones are up to the roof. She's not going out with h-"

"I already told her yes." Sarah cut in.

"Well I guess I'll be the party pooper and tell her no."

"Chuck," Sarah began.

He held up a finger, asking for her to let him continue. "Sarah, come on, you know how this will go, it will start out as only pizza, then he will tell her how beautiful she is and that he loves her. She will be naïve, and she will believe him, and before you know it, he deflowers her, breaks her heart and we'll be helping her pick up the pieces."

Sarah sighed. She walked over to him and grabbed his hand, leading them to the bed. "Deflower? Really, that sounds so Casey." Chuck shrugged. "Chuck, I know you're worried about her, but I know our daughter, she's got a strong head on her shoulders. And trust me, she knows what real love is, I mean she's seen us, and not to sound narcissistic or anything but that's as pure as love can get, so I think she will recognize real love when she experiences it. And as for her being deflowered, we've raised her better than that. She values and respects herself so I know that years down the road, she will make the right choice."

Sarah kissed his lip lightly and stroked his cheek. "I know where you are coming from, but you need to trust her. She needs to have some social interaction with people her own age outside of school. And again, let me remind you that it's just pizza."

"Humph." Chuck sighed. "I just wish either of you trusted me enough to tell me."

Sarah ran her fingers through his curls. "I was giving her time to tell you herself, and if she hadn't by this evening, I was going to. And I admit that I was wrong for not consulting you, but Chuck, she was so excited about it, and she was worried that you wouldn't let her, so I said yes."

"I'm not that much of a strict father am I? I'm not that unapproachable?"

"No, you just love fiercely and don't want anyone you love to be hurt, and that's why I love you."

"I love you too." Chuck said wrapping his arm around her.

Sarah smiled, "Am I forgiven?"

Chuck toyed with the hem of her blouse and cocked his head to the side. "Maybe, if you give me a kiss." Sarah inched closer to him, and captured his lips in a slow, sensual kiss. Soon enough, she found herself pinned underneath him and his warm hand resting on her stomach. Sarah moaned into his mouth and ran her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer to her. She was about to pull Chuck's shirt off of him, or rip it off, whichever was faster, when she heard a groan from outside her bedroom. Chuck quickly hopped off of her and they turned to see all their children standing at the door. Savannah had the younger children's eyes blocked with her hands.

"Zachia and Landon are hungry." She announced. "I'd make them lunch, but I've got homework to do."

The blush was now leaving Chuck and Sarah who had finished rearranging their clothes. "We will be right down." Savannah nodded, and led her siblings away.

Chuck moved to shut the door behind them, but Sarah stopped him. "You shut that door, and we won't leave in here anytime soon."

Chuck grinned at her. "Well maybe we can pick it up tonight?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"I think that's a good idea." Sarah agreed. "But I need you to promise me that you won't do a background check on Jason and that you won't hire someone to shadow them while they go for pizza."

"Who me? Sarah, come on, even though we still do favours for the government, that doesn't mean I would hack into their databases and trace this Jason guy's family history and records to as far back as they stretch. That would be a misappropriation of government resources and I would never, ever, ever do such a thing. Besides, why would I hire someone when I'm sure Casey, Awesome and Morgan would gladly help me out on that spying mission?"

"Chuck, I'm serious!" Sarah warned. "Don't do anything crazy."

"Ok, ok." He held his hands up in surrender. Sarah didn't fully believe him, but didn't have time to dwell on it further as she heard Zachia yelling for her from downstairs. Wondering what the problem was now, she left Chuck in the room.

* * *

><p>After lunch, Sarah stepped out to visit a neighbour who was redecorating and valued her input. Meanwhile, Chuck put Landon down for a nap. While Savannah was doing her homework, he called out for his second daughter. "Zachia Emily Bartowski." His voice boomed through the spacious house.<p>

Said daughter rushed from her room and descended the stairs cautiously. The nine year old knew that whenever her parents used their full names, they were usually in big trouble. She racked her brain, trying to figure out what the offense was this time. She found Chuck already at the foot of the stair case. "Yes Daddy?" She said sweetly, swinging to and fro.

"I need to speak to you in the study." Her eyes widened. Man, was she in big trouble. She followed her father into the study he shared with her mother. While Chuck took a seat on the leather couch, she remained standing in the middle of the room.

"You're not in trouble Zachia." Chuck assured her. Upon hearing the news, her face noticeably brightened and she skipped over to where her father was sitting.

"I'm not?" She questioned unbelievingly.

"No, I promise." Chuck said and kissed her hair.

"Oh ok Daddy. So what did you want to talk about?"

Chuck rubbed his hands together. "You know how you like to play Spy with us and when Uncle Casey comes over he gives you missions and a reward for being a good soldier?"

Zachia nodded gleefully. "Well, how would you like to go on a mission for me and gather some Intel on the target?"

"Who's the target? An international warlord, drug traffickers, arms dealers, mercenaries or communist dictators?" Chuck's eyes widened, from the last two suggestions, he was convinced that she had been spending too much time with the good Colonel.

"Do you even know what a communist dictator is?"

"Uncle Casey says that they're one of the worst type of people and that they're the scum of the earth. He also said that they deny every one of their rights and their values go against everything Reagan." Chuck nodded. He'd be having a talk with Casey. Again.

Bringing them back on topic, Chuck continued. "No, it's none of the aforementioned. The target is your sister."

Zachia put her finger up. "Let me get this straight. You want me to spy on Savannah?"

"Yes." Chuck confirmed. "So, can you do it? Will you be an agent for me?"

She hesitated, even though her sister was mean sometimes, she did do her hair pretty when her mother couldn't. She wasn't completely sold on the idea.

"Why can't you do it?"

Chuck scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well, this mission requires an agent with your particular skill set. One who is lithe, smart, can slip out of a room reasonably undetected and already has a close relationship to the target. You are my only hope Agent Sparkles."

Zachia frowned. "That's not my alias anymore Daddy."

"OK, then what should I call you?"

"The name's Carmichael. Zachia Carmichael." She said seriously.

Chuck smiled at her. His daughter sure was something special. He was very impressed by her Bond impersonation and it was endearing that she used the last name of his first alias. At least unlike Morgan, hers wasn't ridiculous. Because really, who in their right minds would name their child Michael Carmichael? "OK Agent Carmichael. You are the A-Team, well not team since you work alone, but you know what I mean. You are the best and I need you to complete this mission. Do you accept?

"Ok, you've sold me." Zachia smiled. "But what's in it for me?" She asked while twirling her blonde curly hair around her index finger.

"Really? You'd take money from your old man?"

"Sorry Daddy, but this is a sensitive mission, it could even be life threatening since Mommy was teaching Savannah how to perfect the roundhouse kick the other day and thus I need money for occupational hazards."

"Fine." Chuck relented. "Twenty dollars." He didn't think Savannah would physically attack her sister. Sarah had specifically told her that she should not use any of her fighting techniques on her siblings or peers but should resort to it in situations only when her life was in danger.

She arched her brow, much like Sarah did. "One hundred."

Chuck bit his tongue from saying no way in hell. "That's too high for my pockets."

"Come on Daddy, you and Mom own a multi-million dollar software and security company, I'm sure it won't hurt."

"Forty."

"One hundred."

"No. Forty-five."

"One hundred."

"Fifty."

Zachia sighed, her father was being stubborn. But considering that she'd gotten him to raise his bribe by thirty, she decided to quit while ahead. "Fine."

"You really are your mother's daughter." Chuck grumbled. He took out his wallet and handed five ten dollar bills to her. After inspecting them and finding them to her satisfaction, Zachia pocketed the money.

"So, what exactly do you want me to do Daddy?"

"Gather whatever intel you can on this guy called Jason, I'm thinking we should check her diary first and then her phone and laptop if that is a bust."

Chuck knew he was wrong, and maybe even acting a bit of paranoid, but he reasoned that his was normal for any parent, especially fathers of teenaged girls.

"I'll try my best not to let you down Daddy."

"That's all I ask. We're operating on little time, so I need the Intel as soon as possible. And remember, you've got to be stealthy about it. Whatever you do, please try not to get caught." Or it will be the death of me.

Zachia gave him a salute and bolted from the room.

**/\**

Sarah was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. Little Landon was in his high chair, mostly playing with the cereal in his bowl rather than eating it. She held up a carrot to him. "Do you know what this is?" She asked the little boy.

"Orange!" replied the two and a half year old excitedly.

Sarah smiled at him. "That's right. This is the colour orange, but it's a carrot. Can you say carrot?"

After a few attempts, Landon was able to say the word. Sarah smiled at him. "You're the smartest little boy in the entire world aren't you?" Sarah tickled him under his arms and the toddler laughed, making Sarah smile even more widely. She kissed him on his chubby cheek and ruffled his dirty blond hair.

She was washing the rice in a bowl when she heard her daughters upstairs yelling.

"Mom!" Zachia screeched as she ran down the stairs, with Savannah trailing behind her. "Mom, you've got to help me." Zachia cried breathlessly. Her face was flushed and she was panting for breath.

"What's wrong now?" Sarah asked exasperated. Upon hearing Savannah's footsteps inching closer, Zachia ran to the sanctuary behind her mother's body.

Savannah marched into the kitchen, her chocolate eyes hot with rage. "I'm going to kill you! You little wicked, conniving, snooping, disrespectful, stupid, -"

"Hey, stop with that name calling right now." Sarah silenced her older daughter with a scowl.

"Mommy, she wants to kill me." complained Zachia.

Sarah shook her head. "I know that your father and I raised you better than this, so you two are going to calm down and tell me what's going on. And no one will be killing anyone." Zachia took that assurance and moved over to Landon's night chair, coaxing him into eating his cereal.

"She was snooping into my stuff." Savannah raged. She then noticed that Zachia was no longer hiding behind their mother and in one swift motion, lunged for her. She was able to grab hold of the collar of her shirt and refused to let go. While Zachia screamed, Landon laughed, finding the scene to be funny. Despite Sarah's orders to let her sister go, Savannah's grip remained strong. Finally, Sarah had to pry her fingers away from the little girl. Zachia was now crying, claiming that Savannah had stretched out her mission shirt.

"I should've done worse than that. I should've rung your neck." She spat.

Sarah's head snapped toward her daughter, horrified and shocked. "That is no way to talk to your sister Savannah. Apologise." She kept mum. "I said apologise." Sarah said through gritted teeth.

Savannah rolled her eyes at her and Sarah resisted the urge to slap her upside her head. She didn't know if it was the water or the air, but something had turned her daughters into maniacs. Sarah sent her an icy glare and Savannah finally muttered an empty sorry.

"Go to your room." Sarah commanded.

Savannah looked at her incredulous. "Are you serious right now Mom? She's always messing with my stuff. She went into my diary!"

"No I didn't." Zachia defended.

"Now you're lying too." Savannah fumed.

"I only read about three lines, not even a paragraph ." Zachia admitted. "I don't think that amounts to going in, it was only a peek.

"I've had enough of this. Mom, you're clearly taking her side."

"I'm not taking anyone's side."

"Yes you are! You always do!"

"Listen, I have had it up to here with your bickering." Sarah told her, stretching her hand high above her head.

"She just does that sad whiny voice and those stupid puppy dog eyes and all of a sudden, she's nothing but an angel who can do no wrong in your eyes!"

"Do not raise your voice at me, and I suggest you take your tone down a notch or two." Sarah warned.

"Or what? You're gonna ground me? Take away my electronics. Do your worse Mom, see if I care. I'm done here; I'm going to my room." She turned on her heel and muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Sarah asked, daring her to repeat.

"I said I hate you. I hate all of you. And I especially hate Zachia for being a snotty little brat."

"Go to your room now! And don't come back down again!"

"I was going there on my own anyway. Besides, it's not like I want to be with you guys." Savannah huffed and left the room, stomping on the stairs as she went. The slam of her bedroom door came next.

After the door slammed, Sarah was assaulted by the sight of her younger children crying. Zachia's tears were pooling in her eyes again, following her sister's verbal assault and Landon, being startled by the slamming door, was now crying too. Sarah washed her hands and dried them before lifting Landon from his chair and hoisted him on her hip. She then took Zachia by the hand and led her into the living room. Dinner could wait. Right now, she needed to deal with her children. That and have a few words with Chuck.

Landon was much easier to settle than his sister. Sarah gave him some porridge and he soon fell asleep. Zachia on the other hand was still melancholy. When Sarah finally managed to abate the tears, she wiped the snot and tear stains from her face.

"Zachia, baby you've got to be honest with me. Did you read Savannah's diary?" She nodded. "Why? You know that such things are private, don't you?" She nodded again. The little girl couldn't bear to look at her mother, so she kept her eyes transfixed on the floor. "Baby, I want you to look at me." said Sarah. Reluctantly, she obeyed and Sarah's heart broke at the sadness and regret in her hazel eyes.

"I- I didn't mean to…I- I wasn't gonna read all of it. I just wanted to see what kind of stuff she wrote down." Zachia sniffed. "Do you think she'll hate me forever Momma?"

Sarah pulled the little girl onto her lap and wrapped her arms around her in comfort. "She doesn't hate you. She's just very angry. What you did was wrong and you will have to apologize."

"Mommy, I hope you're right. I like having her as a big sister. None of the other kids in my class have a sister as old as I do, so they think I'm the coolest one, and she does my hair so pretty when you don't have time and she helps me with my homework sometimes so I hope she doesn't stay mad at me forever."

Sarah chuckled and stroked Zachia's blond hair. "She'll come around. Most of what she said was in the heat of the moment."

"I love you Mommy."

"I love you too sweetie."

"And I really am sorry."

"I know baby, I know."

* * *

><p>When Chuck came home from Ellie's house, it was after nine. Being a weekend, he expected at least the girls to still be awake and driving each other insane or watching a movie. All of the lights were off in the house and he found it strange. Alarm bells went off in his head and he briefly entertained the notion that someone had abducted his family. He shook the thought from his head though because if such had happened, the security system he had designed with Sarah's help would have activated. Upon reaching the master bedroom, he blindly reached for the light switch. However, as he did so, Sarah turned on her bedside lamp.<p>

"Chuck."

He whirled around to face the bed. "Gah! Sarah you scared me." He said placing his palm over his heart. "I thought you were somebody deadly." The yellow light cast a soft glow on her frame and really accentuated her beauty. Chuck did notice though that she was frowning and her arms were folded across her chest. I'm in trouble. From all the movies he'd watched , he knew too well that when a man came home and found his spouse waiting up for him and in that position, it usually didn't end well.

"I am somebody deadly." Sarah stated in a matter of fact tone.

"But you wouldn't actually kill me... Would you?"

Sarah cast him a sideways glance. "I was thinking about it actually." She muttered softly.

Be afraid, be very afraid. Chuck looked at her sceptically. "What's wrong?"

"You are unbelievable." Sarah said.

Chuck tugged on his collar. "I do believe that's why you married me." Chuck joked, attempting to remove the tension in the room. "I'm unbelievably smart, charming, handsome, caring and loving."

Sarah glared at him and frowned. She was not in the mood for his jokes tonight. "What's wrong?" Chuck asked. "Is it because I missed dinner? I'm sorry. OK? I didn't expect to stay over at Ellie's so long, but the virus was corrupting their entire home network and it took me longer than I would've thought."

Sarah ran her fingers through her hair furiously and sighed. Chuck climbed in the bed and leant over to her. "I really am sorry." He murmured and kissed her softly. "But I promise, I can make it up to you." He whispered in her ear. "If you'd let me."

Chuck placed kisses on her jawline and then went down to her neck, paying the most attention to that one spot he knew drove her wild.

"Mhmm, Chuck, baby wait." Chuck brought his lips back to her, and devoured her lips in a luscious kiss. "Chuck, I -" She could barely form a proper sentence as Chuck continued to kiss any exposed flesh of her body. He then returned to her lips, kissing her thoroughly. His tongue traced the outline of her bottom lip, asking for entrance and she allowed it. Meanwhile, she grazed her teeth along his lips and he returned the action by gently nipping at hers. "Chuck" Sarah moaned. She was quickly loosing all comprehension and her body was begging for all of him. His hands slipped under her shirt, and he raised them higher until he reached her breasts, massaging them. He quickly removed her shirt and Sarah did the same, wanting as much contact with his skin as possible.

Something in her snapped though, when she saw Chuck's black shirt on the floor. It reminded of Zachia's black mission wear and the anger came back. Even though her body ached for him, she forced that desire down and pushed him off of her. Understandably Chuck was surprised by her sudden withdrawal. Sarah hopped from the bed and picked both shirts from the floor. She put on hers and tossed the other to Chuck. It would be much easier to stay angry at him if he had his shirt on.

"Sarah, what's wrong?"

"I'm not mad about you missing dinner. Not really anyways." She hadn't even bothered to finish dinner. Her children had been her main concern and she had lost the desire to cook. Consequently, she put everything back into the fridge and ordered a pizza. So while she was mad that she had to deal with the pandemonium before dinner, she was more pissed at Chuck's actions which had resulted in said pandemonium.

Sarah walked over to the love seat across the room and picked up Zachia's mission wear. Walking back over to the bed, she threw the black T-shirt, the black leggings, the ski mask and her black boots on the bed. "Would you like to explain to me why our daughter was spying on her own sister?" asked Sarah furiously.

Chuck sighed. "To which daughter are you referring to? Who spied on whom? Last time I checked, we had two, so a bit of clarification would be appreciated." Chuck said cheekily in an attempt to stall. The dirty look Sarah sent him let him know that she was already pissed and he really shouldn't piss her off any further. How was he going to talk his way out of this one? _I'm dead!_ "Um, well-" he began, only to be cut off by a raging Sarah.

"I specifically told you not to spy on her or do anything outrageous Chuck! You agreed to that Chuck. And now look what you've done! You used our daughter to spy on her sister Chuck. That's not fucking funny and it was wrong of you, on so, so many levels. Do you have any idea of the damage you've caused? You invaded her privacy and now she feels betrayed and she's angry at the whole damn world, but especially her sister and I. And Zachia, Chuck, you know I hate to see any of my children crying but I couldn't get her to stop crying after Savannah verbally assaulted her, telling her that she hated her and that she was a brat. Chuck, can you possibly imagine how I felt having to deal with that? Can you imagine how Zachia felt when her sister told her all those awful things? Can you imagine how Savannah felt knowing that her privacy was invaded?" She almost choked on the anger.

Chuck breathed deeply and his shoulders sagged. He then buried his face in his hands and groaned.

Sarah sat down next to him, her face still flush with anger. Chuck took her left hand his and massaged it, occasionally playing with her wedding ring. "Don't try to worm yourself out of this."

"I'm not." Chuck said. "Look, I know what I did was out of line, fine, I'll admit that and I apologize. But I won't apologize for being worried and over protective. I'm her father Sarah, and she's thirteen, I have to worry about boys, because I don't know which one will break her heart."

"I understand that Chuck." Sarah comforted him. She knew all too well about guys like that, they were the classic Dic Duffy. "But Chuck, if you wanted to know more about Jason, I'm sure if you asked, she would've told you. Do you remember the first couple of years after you got the Intersect?"

Chuck gave a dry laugh. "How could I ever forget?"

"Well I'm sure you also remember all the cameras and the bugs. You hated that your privacy was basically non-existent. And I know Savannah must feel the same way."

Chuck sighed again. He did realise the errors in his ways. "I'll fix it." He promised.

"Thank you." Sarah stroked his cheek.

"Do you still love me?"

"As if I could ever stop, even after all these years and your occasional bonehead moments."

**/\**

Chuck left Sarah in their room and ventured out, looking to see if either of the girls was still awake. He checked on Zachia first. Coming from the lit hallway, it took his eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness of her room. Chuck walked over to her bed and sat down. "I know you're not sleeping." He told her after a few minutes of silence. Chuck turned on the light and the little girl propped up against the white headboard, looking at her father sadly.

"I failed the mission Daddy." She admitted.

Chuck sat down on the pink comforter and smiled at her. "I know, but it's OK."

The little girl shook her head. "No it's not, because now 'Vannah hates me and you'll be disappointed in me." She said dejectedly. "I'm not a good agent anymore."

Chuck smiled again. "None of those things are true. Savannah doesn't hate you. People tend to say things they don't mean when they are angry or upset. I'm sure you two will make up soon."

"That's the same thing Mommy said." replied Zachia with new found hope.

"Exactly, and your Mommy is one of the smartest women I know, so she must know what she was talking about."

"Mommy is the smartest person in the entire world." Zachia proclaimed.

"Hey!" Chuck cried offended. "So what about me?"

Zachia giggled. "You would be the second smartest person in the world."

"Oh, why thank you. That means so much coming from you." Chuck joked.

"You're so silly Daddy."

"Now back to our conversation, I'm not disappointed in you. I shouldn't have asked you to spy on your sister, so I'm sorry for putting you in that position. Forgive me?"

"Course Daddy." She jumped from under the covers and threw her arms around Chuck's neck. "I love you Daddy."

"I love you too Spy Princess."

After talking for a bit more, Chuck announced that it was time for Zachia to finally go to bed. Without much fuss, she relented and delved back under the covers. They wished each other good night, exchanged kisses and Chuck left the room. He then proceeded to Savannah's room but found that she was sleeping. His talk with her would have to wait until morning.

Sarah was still awake when he returned to their room. Chuck brushed his teeth, changed in to his pyjamas and slipped into bed beside her. "How'd it go?"

"I talked to Zachia, she's good now, but 'Vannah's asleep so Zachia and I will talk to her in the morning."

"Good."

Chuck ran his fingers along Sarah's thigh. "Do you want to continue from where we left off?"

"No way buster, not after that stunt you pulled."

Chuck groaned. "Come on Sarah, are we really gonna go through this?"

"Just be glad that I'm not making you sleep on the couch." replied Sarah while removing his hand from her hip.

"Now we both know that you don't sleep well if I'm not here. Besides, who would warm your cold feet? Who else would hold you as close as I do? Who's gonna make you feel safe? Whose heartbeat is gonna lull you to sleep?"

Sarah rolled her eyes even though she knew he was right. She slept much better when he was next to her. "Just shut up and go to sleep." Still, Chuck eased closer to her until nothing separated them but the clothes on their backs. Now that they were spooned together, he was able to whisper in her ear. "Good night Sarah."

"Good night Chuck." Sarah yawned. "Love you."

Chuck kissed her hair and intertwined his feet with hers. "Love you too baby."

* * *

><p>Savannah awoke at nine thirty, which for her standards was early for a Sunday. She made up her bed and slipped into the bathroom for her shower. Upon her exit, she could hear the noise from downstairs as her family had breakfast. Her stomach grumbled at the thought of breakfast. After her behaviour last night, she had refused to go down for dinner, even after her mom told her that it was her favourite- pizza with no olives. Savannah finished getting dressed and sat down on the bed. She was sure word had gotten to her father about last night and with her outburst and basically challenging her mother's authority, she wouldn't be surprised if she couldn't go out with Jason in the evening.<p>

There was a knock on the door and she found her entire family at the door. Savannah mentally cringed. "Is this an intervention?"

"Well good morning to you too." Sarah sarcastically said.

"Morning."

"Morningggg 'Vannah" Landon smiled up at her brightly. Despite her residual anger and apprehension, Savannah smiled back.

"Your father and Zachia have something they need to say." Sarah announced, getting the ball rolling.

"No, I have something to say first." She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry Mom, for being disrespectful and rude last night. I had no right behaving the way I did and I promise it won't happen again."

"It better not. You got off lucky last night, but if there is a next time, you will be severely punished." Sarah warned. "Apology accepted."

"And Zachia, I was very mean to you. I shouldn't have called you all, those names. I was just extremely angry and I didn't mean any of what I said. You're my baby sister and... I could never hate you, so I'm sorry for hurting your feelings." Savannah said sincerely.

"OK, I forgive you." Zachia moved to hug her older sister and they stayed like that for a few minutes. Chuck and Sarah smiled at each other. It was so much better watching them being loving and kind to one another instead of clawing at each other's throats.

"I'm sorry that I'm always messing with your stuff. It's just that I think you're really cool and smart and everyone likes you so sometimes I peek in your stuff to figure out how to be like you."

"Hey, I think you're smart and pretty too." commented Savannah.

"Really?" She asked hesitantly.

"Of course."

"Well thanks. I promise I won't peek in your diary or your phone and laptop anymore."

"You did what?!" Savannah's eyes widened at the new piece of information. Oh hell no! Zachia noticed the deadly look in her eyes and bolted to the door. "Love you sis, bye."

"I'm gonna end you." Savannah shouted already springing from her bed.

Chuck cleared his throat. "Zachia, come back here." She was already halfway through the door and trudged her way back over.

"Zachia, from now on, I want you to leave your sister's stuff alone." Sarah told her.

"Haven't you ever heard that your password shouldn't be your birthday? You just made it too easy for me."

"Mom!" screeched Savannah.

Zachia relented. "Fine. Fine. I won't do it anymore."

"Good." replied Sarah. She nudged Chuck in the ribs. Chuck groaned. She looked at Chuck, urging him to begin.

"Mummy, I have to go potty." Landon interrupted their silent communication.

"I can take him." Chuck volunteered.

"Oh no you won't." Sarah shot him down. "Get on with it." Sarah commanded with a smack on his bottom."

"Soooooo," Chuck drawled. "I think you guys know how paranoid I get sometimes." They nodded. "And sometimes I freak out and then I do stupid things... Anyway, Savannah, I was the one who told Zachia to spy on you."

"Daddy! Why would you do that?"

"Because you were going out with a boy whom I knew nothing about and I just wanted to find out a bit more about him. It feels like yesterday when your mom and I brought you home from the hospital and now all of a sudden you're going out on a date and regardless of how old you are, I will always feel the need to protect you from any and everything; hormonal teenage boys included. It was wrong of me to use your sister to gather intel for me, so I'm sorry." Chuck acknowledged.

"You know Dad, I'm thirteen and I do understand certain things. You don't have to worry; I think you and Mom raised me well enough that I can handle myself."

"I know, I know. I will try to be more trusting."

"And if you wanted to know more about Jason, you could have just asked."

"That's what your Mom said."

"See Daddy, I told you Mommy is the smartest person in the entire world." enthused Zachia.

"Trust me, I've learnt my lesson." Chuck said.

"By the way, I think it's kinda sweet how over-protective you are." said Savannah.

"I love you guys. Now can I have a hug?"

They obliged him and kissed him on each cheek. "We love you too Daddy." confessed Savannah.

"You're the best daddy in the world."

Sarah and Landon returned and found them still locked in their embrace. Landon ran over to them, not wanting to be left out. Sarah smiled at the scene before her, glad that the girls had made peace.

**/\**

Chuck, Sarah, Zachia and Landon were in the living room watching The Lion King on Blu Ray when Savannah strolled in.

"Shouldn't you soon be getting ready?" Chuck asked her.

"Um yea...about that, um, " Savannah stuttered. Chuck raised his eyebrow at her, wondering just what was going on. "Jason suggested that we go to the movies instead." She suddenly blurted out.

"Oh hel-" Chuck stopped just short of saying 'hell'. He didn't want the kids to hear him swearing. Landon especially soaked up his words like a sponge and Zachia had begun to call him a parrot, which they had scolded her for. "Heck no. Over my dead body." Chuck raged. "The movies? Where it'll be dark and he can run his hands all over you? Oh no, no, no, I don't think so."

"Chuck, calm down." Sarah advised.

"Calm, how do you expect me to be calm Sarah? Nothing good happens in the dark?"

Savannah huffed. Her father could be so melodramatic. "You didn't even let me finish. It's not gonna be just the two of us. It'll be a group of us and Lacey's parents offered to be the chaperone."

"Oh."

"See Chuck, you honestly get worked up for nothing." Sarah chided.

Shrugging, Chuck left the room to call Lacey's parents.

**/\**

"Sarah, Landon ripped 'My Little Toy Truck' again. I seriously don't know where he gets the strength from to rip a hardback edition to pieces." said Chuck as he entered the master bedroom. He had just come from putting the toddler to bed. "Sarah?" He called again not receiving a response. Chuck looked around the room and noticed the several lit candles.

"I'll be right out." She called out from the bathroom. Moments later, Sarah emerged in a black lace lingerie set. "Hi Chuck. She ran her fingers through her hair and smiled seductively at him. Upon seeing her, Chuck dropped the ripped book from his hands. He swallowed thickly and tugged at his shirt neck. The room suddenly felt much hotter.

"Um..ah" Chuck stuttered "You look absolutely amazing."

Sarah's smile widened. She was glad that after all their time together and three children, she was still able to get this sort of reaction out of Chuck. "Thank you. I was thinking we could do a little experiment tonight."

"Wh- wha- what type of experiment?"

Sarah stepped closer to him and smoothed down his shoulders. "Remember this afternoon when you said nothing good happens in the dark?"

"No, no, not really." He was being serious. With Sarah so close to him, he was completely intoxicated by her. She smelled wonderfully of citrus fruits. He barely even remembered his own name, far less a statement he'd made hours ago.

"Well, let me help you remember." Sarah kissed his softly.

"I think I'm starting to remember." Chuck whispered against her lips.

Sarah smirked. "Come on Chuck, time to prove if you were right." She removed his shirt and kissed him hungrily. Her hands roamed his body. Slowly, her index finger trailed down his stomach, causing goose bumps to rise on his flesh. "I hope you're up for the task."

Afterwards, Sarah lay on Chuck's chest, breathing heavily. "That was amazing." She kissed Chuck's chest.

He lazily stroked her back. "I know. And I was wrong, if the last two hours were any indication, good things can happen in the dark."

Sarah yawned. She was growing tired and acknowledged that it was time for them to go to sleep. Tomorrow would be a big day. She and Chuck both had presentations to make at work and after work they would be attending Savannah's football game.

Chuck pulled the sheet tighter over them and wrapped his arms more securely around Sarah. "Good night Sarah."

"Good night Chuck." Chuck fell asleep before her and Sarah took the time to admire his sleeping form. With another big yawn, she finally surrendered to the power of sleep. Sometimes parenthood was challenging. Sometimes her children drove her mad. Sometimes they drive each other mad. Sometimes Chuck did things that made her furious. But she wouldn't change her life for anything. She had a wonderful family; one that was completely surrounded by love and that was all she ever really wanted. She was indeed living the life she only dreamed of.

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><p><strong>AN#2: Thanks for reading. Feel free to review (even if it's as a guest) or to leave suggestions for future installments. I hope to be post another chapter before the new year.**

**Until next time**

**xoxoxo**

**~Barbadiangirl 21/12/2014.**


	12. Jason Comes Over

**A/N#1: Happy New Year everyone! I wish you guys all the best for 2015. Thanks for the reviews, favouriting and follows. I also have to thank ****_charahkids_**** profusely, he basically came up with this plot line, and is completely awesome! **

**Chapter 12: Jason Comes Over... Words: 5966**

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><p>Savannah Bartowski slowly made her way down the stairs. Her parents were always complaining about them running down the stairs, and while she sometimes ignored them, this time, she took special care to walk down the staircase. <em>Be cool Savannah. <em>She strolled into the kitchen and found her mother busy preparing cookies.

"Hi Mom," she greeted sweetly.

Sarah looked up from the cookie dough and smiled. "Hi baby, what's up?"

"Nothing really. I just came down to see if you needed any help."

"I'm almost done." Sarah informed her. She then turned her attention to Landon who was sitting on a play mat a few feet away from her colouring. Well, he was supposed to be colouring. "Landon, take that crayon from out of your mouth now!" The two and a half year old looked up at her suddenly and dropped the crayon from his mouth. Sarah was already wiping the flour from her hands into an apron so she could go get him when Savannah stopped her.

"It's OK Mom, I got it." She walked over to Landon and scooped him up in her arms, then carried him to the bathroom to wash out his mouth. When they returned, Sarah had just finished putting the last batch of cookies into the oven. "Where did Daddy and Zachia go?" Savannah asked, noticing their absence. She set Landon down on his feet and instructed him not to eat his crayons anymore. He nodded off and tottered off to the living room where he had left his toys.

"Well, your sister, insisted that the cookie decorations we had weren't good enough," Sarah began to explain. She was baking the cookies for Zachia's class party in the morning. "and we are also out of icing sugar and milk, so she and your father went to the store."

"Ah OK." Her father wasn't here. Maybe this was a good thing. Her mother had been the calm one when she wanted to go for pizza with Jason, while her father had been paranoid and hired Zachia to spy on her. This was very good; she could work on her mother first. Savannah noticed her mother putting away the baking ingredients and rushed over to help. Sarah smiled her thanks. When everything was put away, and the flour dusted off the counter tops, Sarah asked her what she felt like having for dinner: chicken, fish, or beef. Her choice was easy, chicken of course. "Do you need any help?"

Sarah looked at her suspiciously. "Don't you have homework?"

She shrugged. "I finished it already."

Sarah arched her eyebrow. "Really?" Savannah nodded. "Well after dinner I'll be checking it." She nodded again; she was fine with her parents checking her homework. When you had two geniuses for parents, homework was usually pretty easy.

"So is that a yes or no on needing help?"

"Yea, sure you can help." Sarah replied.

"Sooooo," Savannah drawled as she washed the vegetables. Sarah stopped cutting and seasoning the chicken and looked up at her questioningly, "at school, we were given this um, assignment, and it's sorta like a, um, ah group project, not group as in a huge group though, more like pairs, and" she stuttered.

Landon entered the kitchen then, interrupting her. "Mummy, I want juice."

"Is that the right way to ask for something?" Even though he was still young, Chuck and Sarah wanted him to be mannerly and had instilled good manners and habits in their children from a young age.

"Pleaseeeeeeeeee." He added in a sing song voice. Savannah noticed that her mother's hands would take much longer than hers to wash, since she had spices and herbs and all types of seasonings on them. She had only been washing veggies, so she dried her hands in a nearby kitchen towel and opened the fridge.

"What kind of juice do you want Landon?"

"Orange!"

She took out the carton and poured some into his sippy cup. He took it gratefully and said thank you, before going back to the living room to play with his vehicles.

"You're welcome." Savannah called after his retreating form.

"What were you saying before Landon came in? Something about a project?"

"Can Jason come over?" Savannah blurted. There, she'd finally said it. She watched her mother closely for any indication to what she was thinking. Sarah's hand stilled and she placed the knife on the cutting board.

"What do you mean by come over?" Sarah looked directly in her eyes.

"Come over as in come to our house." She replied cheekily.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Come over to do what exactly?" Sarah clarified.

"Um, well, the school assignment I was telling you about, he's kinda my partner so we have to work on it together." Under her mother's gaze, she was surprised she was able to form a cohesive sentence.

"I see." Sarah said after a while. _Wait? That was it?_ Savannah mentally celebrated. _This had been way too easy. _"And what kind of project are we talking about?" Sarah prodded after a moment.

"History." She answered quickly.

"Did the teacher put you in groups and coincidentally you were partnered with Jason or did you select your partners on your own?"

Savannah knew her mom was fishing. "Well, um, ah, she um," Sarah tapped the cutting board, telling her to just spit it out; "She let us pick."

Sarah smiled satisfyingly. She had thought so. "What's the project on?"

"The people who came to the Americas before Columbus."

"Interesting. OK. I-"

"OK? As in yes he can come over? Mom, you're the best."

Sarah held up her finger and Savannah deflated a bit. "You didn't let me finish. I'll tell your father when he gets back." Savannah groaned at that. Her father would probably be dead set against it. "I'm sure he'll be fine with it." She hmphed. _Yea right_! Then again, her mother might make him see reason. Her father usually listened to her mother, and since this wasn't a social thing like when they had gone to the movies, and more scholastic, her father would be more lenient.

**/\**

When Chuck and Zachia returned from the grocery store, the cookies were already done and on the cooling racks and dinner was on the stove. After putting the groceries away, and slapping Chuck on the hand for attempting to steal some cookies, Sarah launched into the discussion about Jason coming over.

"Savannah has this history project at school on the people who came to the Americas before Columbus," Sarah began to explain, "and they were partnered up. So she wanted to know if her partner could come over."

"Who's her partner?"

Sarah bit her lip. "Jason." And at that one word, Chuck's eyes bugged out of his head.

"You're telling me, that out of the other thirty-one children in her class, the teacher just happened to partner her and this Jason guy together?" He laughed bitterly.

"Well, no." Sarah placed her hand on his forearm.

"She has a crush on him, doesn't she?" He pinched the bridge of his nose.

Sarah smiled at him. Savannah hadn't explicitly said it, but Sarah thought so too. "She might, but they'll be here to do homework. We will be able to keep an eye on them."

"Got that damn right." Chuck agreed. He'd be watching them like a hawk. "When does she want him to come over?"

"We actually didn't get that far. I told her I'd talk to you about first."

"You thought I'd over react again? Didn't you?"

"Maybe just a little." Sarah laughed. Chuck joined in with her laughter and then turned serious.

"Despite my apprehension about her and boys, I wouldn't take it so far as to not let him come over to do their school work." He grinned evilly. "Besides, Casa Bartowski is my lair. When he comes over I can interrogate him and see what he's really like."

"Chuck," Sarah warned, "please don't do anything crazy." Last time she had told him that he hadn't listened. Her warning had gone in through one ear and out through the next. She hoped it wouldn't be the case this time.

"I won't." He agreed. "Scout's honour."

"You weren't a Boys' Scout." Sarah deadpanned. He shrugged. It was the thought that counted.

They called Savannah down from her room and she rushed to them, trying to reflect a calm and collectedness on the outside.

"Your Mom tells me that you and Jason have a History assignment." She nodded. "Well, we talked about it, and it's fine. He can come over." She squealed and lunged at Chuck.

"Oh, thank you Daddy." She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"Gah, gah." Chuck coughed. "You're choking me a bit."

She released him and smiled timidly. "Sorry."

"We will need his house number so we can call his parents." Sarah told her. "We have to see which day would be best for him to come over."

She nodded excitedly. "Yea, yea, no problem. I have his number in my pho-" She stopped herself short, and bit down on her bottom lip guiltily. Both parents raised their eyebrows at her. "I mean, um, I meant to say that I can email him and get his number or you guys can check the phone directory."

"Uh huh, of course you did." Sarah smirked at her.

"Dinner will be finished in about five minutes, so tell Zachia and bring down Landon for us."

"No problemo Daddio." She smiled at them and darted out of the room, running up the stairs in excitement.

"Is it me, or did she seem way too excited to be doing homework?"

Sarah chuckled and kissed his cheek. "Don't freak out."

**/\**

Savannah had been hasty in getting Jason's number to her parents and had given them after Zachia cleared the table and she did the dishes.

"That was pretty quick." Chuck commented, taking the slip of paper from her hands.

"Well, you know, we want to get good marks on this, so the sooner we do it, the better."

"Yea right," he mumbled under his breath. "We'll call his parents in a few minutes."

After putting Landon to bed, and reading Zachia her bedtime story, Chuck and Sarah reconvened in their room, ready to make the call.

"I think I met his mom before." Sarah told Chuck.

"Oh yea? Where?"

"At the PTA meeting at their school about six weeks ago. You didn't go to that one because Zachia had gotten in trouble for calling someone a 'bearded troll and an imbecile' and you had to go speak to her teacher."

Chuck laughed dryly. "I told you, she spends too much time with Casey; she even knows what a communist dictator is."

"She'll learn about it in history class anyway."

"I can totally see her blurting out something about Russians and commies being the scum of the earth when they get to that lesson."

Sarah laughed. Knowing her daughter, she could see that happening as well. She'd probably growl for good measure. "Come on." She said bringing them back to the original topic. "Let's make the call."

Chuck dialled the number and put the phone on speaker. They introduced themselves to Jason's father, who had answered the phone and arranged for Jason to come over.

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><p><strong>~0\~**

Sarah felt someone lightly slapping her cheeks. "Chuck," she groaned, "Stop that." The slaps came again. "Chuckkkkkk." She whined.

"Mummy." came a little voice and then another tap. Sarah felt a weight rising from off her stomach and then felt someone's finger pushing up her right eyelid. "Mummmyyyyy." Through that one eye, she saw a mob of dirty blond hair and two bright blue eyes.

Sarah opened both eyes and blinked twice. Landon was looking at her expectantly. "Mummy!" He said again, annoyed at her lack of response. Sarah rubbed the last remnants of sleep from her eyes and propped up against the headboard, thankful that after last night's activities, she had slipped her nightie back on.

"Good morning Landon." She greeted her only son, wondering why he was up already. Like her, he was not a morning person.

"Morning Momma." He replied, sitting in her lap. "Me hungry."

"I'll have your breakfast in a minute." She turned to look at the bedside clock and frowned. The time read 3:34 A.M. That surely wasn't right. She then picked up her phone and her eyes widened. It was 8:34 A.M.

She looked over at her sleeping husband and rudely shook him awake. "Chuck, Chuck, come on, wake up!" She commanded. Landon's joined in too, by tapping his father on his bare chest.

"That's not a nice way to wake up." He yawned.

"Chuck, we're gonna be late, come on, get up." He looked at his watch and frowned. Oh crap, he had a meeting with Morgan at 9:30 and a conference call with some associates in Turkey at 10:00. He quickly hopped out of bed and picked Landon up. "I'll go whip something up for breakfast quickly. You wake the girls up."

Sarah walked quickly down the hallway to their rooms. She pounded on their doors and yelled loudly: "Up, now! You have twenty minutes to be ready for school." Savannah groaned and pulled the covers over her head. Sarah marched into the room and yanked the covers off of her, letting the comforter fall to the ground.

"Mom!" She muttered irritably.

"I said get up. Go have a shower, get dressed and go down for breakfast. We're already pressed for time."

With a sigh, Savannah got out of bed and prepared to use the shower. Meanwhile, Zachia brushed her teeth and headed downstairs for breakfast and Sarah took her shower in the master bathroom.

"Mommy, have you seen my black shoe?" Zachia rushed into the kitchen with one shoe in hand.

Sarah glanced at the shoe in question and shook her head. "No, I haven't."

"Now what am I gonna do?"

"Put on another pair." Sarah exasperated as she finished making their lunch. She still had to cut the crusts off of Zachia's sandwich since the little girl argued that the crusts took away from the taste of the bread. As she was reaching for the knife, her hand knocked over a cup of hot chocolate. "Damn it!" She reached for a kitchen towel and wiped away the spill, thankful that it hadn't found its way onto her suit.

"Ooh, Mommy, you swore."

"I know, I know, that's one dollar for the swear jar." She finished cutting the crusts and packed the sandwich in Zachia's pink lunch box. With all three lunches finished, she ordered Zachia to go find another pair of shoes and to be quick about it. She was wearing a multi-coloured shirt and could easily put on a different pair of shoes. She looked at the kitchen; it was a mess and all the dishes from breakfast were piled in the sink, but they'd have to be done when she returned from work. "Chuck, Savannah, Zachia, come on, we have to go!" She yelled from the foot of the stairs.

Two minutes later, as she slipped on her grey suede pumps, she heard the heavy footsteps rushing down the stairs. Chuck had Landon on his hip and was struggling to hold his folder, Sarah's bag and Landon's backpack in the other hand. She took Landon from him with a practiced ease and told the girls to pick up their lunches and water bottles while Chuck put Landon's into his backpack.

"This is all your fault you know."

Chuck, who was texting Morgan to let him know he'd probably be late in getting to work, looked up from his phone. "Me? How is this my fault?"

"Last night." Sarah replied simply. What was taking the girls so long in the kitchen anyway? "Girls, come on!"

"You're the one who initiated it. It's not my fault you were so insatiable."

"But you could've said no." Sarah scoffed.

"Really? Who in their right mind would say no to you?"

Sarah could remember him doing that a few times in the past, the worse moment being Prague. She shrugged though. The past was in the past and she'd let it go. Finally, the girls met them in the foyer and at 9:10, they were able to leave the house.

With Chuck running late for his meetings, they didn't carpool like they usually did on mornings. Instead, Sarah took Savannah to school, while Chuck took Zachia and Landon since their schools were closer to C.I. "Mom, remember Jason is coming over this evening." Savannah reminded her as Sarah revved the Lotus' engine. Sarah mentally groaned. She had a guest coming over and had left the house in a mess. She'd probably have to leave work early and make sure her house was in order. Of course, she wouldn't go Ellie type crazy with cleaning, but a little vacuuming and dusting couldn't hurt. "Yea, I haven't forgotten." _It's all you've been talking about for the past two days._

**/\**

Casey and Zachia were sitting on the couch, watching a Reagan documentary on TV. Savannah was also sitting on the couch, but she wasn't really paying attention. She had more important things to focus on; like Jason's impending arrival. The doorbell rang and Sarah exited the kitchen to get it. She was stopped by Savannah who ushered her back into the kitchen and said she'd get it. Before answering the door, Savannah ran her fingers through her hair and brushed off her clothes. Opening the red door, she plastered a bright smile on her face.

"Hi Jason." She greeted her friend.

"Hi Savannah." He smiled. They stood in the doorway, for a few moments, grinning at each other. "Aren't you gonna invite me in? Or will we do our homework in the doorway?" He teased.

Savannah grinned sheepishly and stepped aside, letting him in. _Just breathe Savannah. Breathe._ She showed Jason where to rest his backpack which was full of books he had borrowed from the library.

Sarah came into the foyer with a huge smile on her face. She extended her hand to greet Jason and he shook her hand.

"Mom, this is Jason. The boy I went to the movies wi...I mean, the boy Lacey and the rest of us went to the movies with?" Her mother knew him by seeing him at the occasional school football game, but they had never been formally introduced. Savannah was SO nervous. She knew her mother was a spy and that nothing goes by her. She could read anyone like a book. If mom's spy-der senses were tingling about Jason, this could be the first and last time Jason stepped foot in the house.

_Miracles do happen._

Sarah looked at the boy in front of her, analysing him. He was taller than Savannah, which in itself was a bit surprising since she towered over her peers. Jason had a tan, suggesting that he spent quite a bit of time outside, green eyes and thick black hair.

With a bigger smile, Sarah said "Oh, hiiii Jason! So nice ta meet ya'll!

_So much for the miracle. At least mom wasn't giving him the icy stare. Gotta mean for something, no?_

"Uh, hi? N-nice to meet you, M-Mrs Bartowski." Sarah was receptive, Jason confused and Savannah mortified. _Why was her mother putting on that accent? Is she purposely trying to embarrass me? Argh! And I thought Dad would be the problem._

There was a low rumble chuckle and a squeaky snicker coming from the couch.

_Oh god. Not Uncle Casey and Zachia too?! _

Sarah giggled. "Jason, I'm only playing with you. I felt like teasing my 'Vannah a little. Come, let's go to the kitchen. I'll make us all some sandwiches."

"Uhm, uh, OK."

As they headed towards the kitchen, Jason leaned into Savannah and said into her ear.

"Your mom is SOOO cool...and very beautiful...just like you." said Jason in all sincerity.

"Yeah...she is...and thank you, Jason" Savannah was on cloud nine. She **did** have a cool mom...the coolest.

Landon was in the kitchen, in his high chair eating Fruit Loops when the three entered the kitchen. He smiled happily when he saw his mother and sister, but that turned into a frown when he saw the boy whom he didn't recognize. "Momma!" He said and pointed at Jason who was now sitting at the table with his sister. Sarah turned to him and ruffled his dirty blond hair. "Don't know him." He continued to look at the stranger with apprehension in his baby blue eyes.

"Landon, this is my friend, Jason."

"Aren't you gonna say 'hello' Landon?" Sarah asked him.

"Hello." He said after a moment and waved his sticky hand.

"Hi Landon." Jason smiled.

As Sarah was making the sandwiches, Savannah was stealing glances at Jason and vice versa. The next time she looked, so did Jason at the same time.

Busted.

Savannah felt her neck blush and it crept onto her checks. Jason was already a tomato. They both sheepishly smiled. _Geez, it's hot in here. Be cool Vannah...be cool._' She was broken from her stupor when mom said: "Casey! Sandwich?!"

Casey and Zachia didn't notice Sarah's invitation because they were so focused on the Reagan documentary.

"Mr Gorbachev. TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!" That always sent a chill up Casey's spine and Zachia in awe. Sarah narrowed her eyes and said again, this time a little louder: "Casey, sandwich?!"

This time, Casey got it. "Yeah, sure, why not?"

"Zachia?"

"Ok Mommy!"

"Then, both of you get over here. I'm not bringing it over to you and besides, no eating at the couch." said Sarah with a wicked smile.

Casey mumbled "Yes Ma'am".

"C'mon, let's go Uncle Casey." Zachia extended her hand and Casey obliged and they walked towards the kitchen. Meanwhile, Savannah and Jason were feeling more comfortable. Eating and smiling and talking when all of a sudden on Jason's peripheral vision, caught a huge object coming towards him. He slowly turned to said object and his eyes widened to the size of diner plates. Standing beside him was a huge, tall, beast of a man. Jason gulped. _Such men belonged in Hollywood action movies or wrestling with tigers and other wild animals_… Zachia put her hand on her mouth as to not laugh, Savannah was worried and Sarah looked at Casey with a nonverbal message.

'Be nice'

'Why? You had some fun, why can't I?'

'Because I'm the Boss and I can do whatever I want.'

'Fine.'

Savannah knew what was going on between Sarah and Casey. Yep, that's what happens when you're born into a spy family. You learn spy stuff and she learned the silent comm very quickly.

So, to break the tension, Savannah said, "Jason, this is my Uncle Casey. Uncle Casey, this is Jason...uh...he's my friend at school."

Jason placed his sandwich down, cleaned his hands with a napkin and extended his hand to Casey. He was sweating bullets.

"Uh...h-hi Mr. Casey...p-pleasure to meet you."

Casey grunted and just stood there. Hands still in his pockets, staring at the boy. He looked at Vannah and silently commed.

'Please, Uncle Casey. For me?'

He then looked at Sarah.

'I'm warning you. Be NICE!'

'Fine.'

'Thank you Uncle Casey.'

Meanwhile, Zachia was looking at the whole thing and was giggling. Jason was stunned, not knowing what was going on between them and Landon was playing with his Fruit Loops, quite amused for some reason with the cereal. Casey growled as he looked down at Jason's proffered arm. Landon mocked him, doing his best imitation of a growl.

"Roarrrrrrrr!" which came out sounding more like a lion that it did a growl. Casey looked at him and sent him a small smile. Landon smiled back, proud of himself and went back to playing with his Fruit Loops. It looked like he was trying to count them all, but since he had only learnt up to ten; it was proving to be a challenge. When he got to ten, he'd just clump them back together and count all over again.

Casey...sloooowly removed his right hand from his pocket and extended it to Jason. He didn't know what to do. _This man could crush my hands quite easily._ He looked at Savannah and she nodded. Jason shook Casey's hand and Casey replied with a firm handshake. Sending a message. 'Don't try any funny stuff with Vannah or else.'

Jason got the message loud and clear. Disobey the silent warning and the burly man would probably rip him limb, from limb…from limb. But, Casey wasn't done. He had to have some fun. Right?

He leaned into Jason and said in a low, deep tone: "Do you find me imposing? Go ahead, you can be honest."

Jason was getting very nervous. "Y-y-yes."

"Good, I was going for imposing." Then, Casey burst out laughing and put his hand on Jason's shoulder.

"You're alright, kid."

Savannah, Sarah and Zachia were all relieved and smiling. Casey was very protective of the Bartowski clan and they loved him for it.

"Sooo, Jason? Something to drink? I have apple, orange, grape juice." said Sarah, being the perfect host and mom.

"Uh..Apple please. Thank you."

Sarah raised both eyebrows at Savannah and commed: 'Cute and polite.'

Savannah responded. 'Thanks mom, I love you.' Sarah chocked up a little and replied.

'Love you too, more than you'll ever know.' Savannah smiled with glassy eyes. Jason noticed both mother and daughter being emotional.

"Is everything ok?"

Both replied at the same time with huge smiles on their faces. "Yes, Jason."

Casey grunted. "Lady feelings."

Savannah and Sarah rolled their eyes at Casey's comment. "You love us, Uncle Casey." said Savannah with a big toothy grin. "Isn't that right mom?"

"With a name like Sugar Bear, he loves us to death." said Sarah with an evil smirk. Zachia was giggling hysterically.

Casey with huge eyes felt the blush coming up his neck. Jason took a quick peak at Casey and was holding a tiny smirk. Casey said to Jason: "You never heard that and you'll NEVER repeat it either. Got that?"

"Uh..Yes Sir."

"Oh, leave Jason alone, Casey." Sarah still had that smirk. "And here's your sandwich." Sarah handed Casey the sandwich. "Ah, ah, ah," she stopped him and swatted his hand away when he reached for it. "You and Zachia haven't washed your hands." Casey groaned. "Get on with it. I don't know where your hands have been." She smacked Casey with a kitchen towel.

He grumbled something about Walker being a real mother hen as Zachia led him to the downstairs bathroom. After getting way too much water splashed on the sink and the floor (which he was sure Walker would chew him out for), Casey and Zachia strolled back into the kitchen. He sat down in a bar stool and began eating while Zachia climbed into the one next to him. Sarah raised her right eyebrow and cleared her throat. Casey looked up at Sarah.

"What do you say?"

Casey sighed. "Thank you"

Sarah smiled and handed Zachia her sandwich. "Thanks Mom!" She dug in her PB&J sandwich and glass of milk. She stopped though when she realized she hadn't been introduced. Zachia caught Savannah's gaze and inclined her head towards Jason. She cleared her throat, waiting for her sister to introduce her. Savannah looked at her and scoffed. "And this is nobody important."

Zachia frowned. "Excuse me," she began and forced herself between Savannah and Jason, "I'm Zachia, her sister."

Jason waved. "Hi, I'm Jason."

"Oooh, I know who you are," Zachia laughed, sounding like a deranged person. Jason looked at her alarmed. " 'Vannah talks about you allllll the time."

Savannah felt the blush making its way up her cheeks. She silently wished that the floor would open up and swallow her or better yet, maybe swallow up her sister. _Did she not know how to keep her mouth shut ?!_ She nudged her in her back with her elbow. Jason didn't know how to reply and glanced at the two sisters uncomfortably. "She's always going on about how cute you are and-" Savannah groaned. Apparently her younger sister didn't know when to shut up either. _The blabbermouth was going to pay for this!_

"I think that's enough from you soldier." Casey cut in before she could further embarrass her sister. He hoisted the nine year old over one shoulder and took up their sandwiches in the other hand.

"Uncle Casey!" She shrieked happily, "put me down."

"Not a chance. I think we need to work on your verbal skills, more specifically how to shut up." Casey grunted and carried her, still giggling into the back yard. "You're almost as bad a blabbermouth as your father."

Sarah apologized on behalf of her younger daughter, and explained that she often liked to tease her sister. Landon squealed with delight for whatever reason, pulling Sarah's attention to him. Sarah looked at him and groaned. Apparently it was a mistake giving him milk in his cup. He had poured the milk into the bowl with the cereal and then decided to dump it all in the high chair's tray. "Landon, do you always have to be so messy?"

He sent her a toothy smile and Sarah couldn't help but smile back. "Cereal Mommy." He told her, clearly proud of making the tray his bowl. He took up his spoon and scooped some of the cereal from the tray, the milk dripping off and running down his cheeks.

Carefully, so as to not get soggy Fruit Loops all over her, Sarah took him out of the high chair and cleaned him off at the sink. Once he was less sticky, she set him down and he ran off, in search of his fire truck. Sarah then wiped off the tray and wiped down the high chair before ants came. Satisfied, Sarah said: "Well, I have laundry to fold. And you two have homework to do, right?

"Yeah, Mom. Jason and I will be in the living doing our homework and thanks for everything. It was great." said a smiling Savannah.

"Yeah, Mrs. Bartowski. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Sarah walked over to the kitchen window and pulled the blinds back. She saw Casey talking to Zachia…probably telling her that a good soldier knew when to speak and when not to. "Casey?" She called. They looked across to the window and she motioned them to come back inside.

"Yea Walker?" He came back into the kitchen with Zachia on his back.

"I've got some laundry to finish. Can you-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll keep an eye on everything."

"I'll look after Landon, mom." said Zachia.

"Thank you, baby. Well, see ya'll soon." Sarah said with her twangy Southern accent.

Savannah and Jason smiled. Zachia giggled. Landon clapped and Casey grunted.

Savannah cleared the table and put the dishes in the sink. Jason turned to Zachia and whispered, "Is he your Mom's brother of your Dad's?"

Zachia snickered. "He's our Daddy's younger brother. And they work out together, so I guess you can imagine what our Daddy's like. You see that scar on his cheek?" She whispered conspiringly. Jason nodded his head slowly. Zachia looked around, making sure her sister was still occupied with helping Uncle Casey wash and dry the dishes. "Our Daddy did that to him for parking in his car spot. Uncle Casey said that when they were in college, my Daddy's nick name was 'Mad Dog' and nobody dared to mess with him." She flashed then him an innocent smile and skipped out of the room, intent on finding Landon she could teach him to count to ten in Polish, and leaving a very scared Jason behind.

**/\**

Sarah went into her bedroom to fold some clothes and she stopped in front of the flat screen monitor. She stared at it for a second and mischief was going through her mind. The monitor was connected directly to Chuck's office.

She pressed the call button.

"...and I'm feeling good." TA, TATA, TATA TATA, TATATATA..."Fish in the sea"...

Chuck listens to their song at least once a day in his office and he was getting the finishing touches on his ultra-high, state of the art internet security software for Sony. They had massive security breaches lately and they hired Carmichael Industries and they knew CI was the best. On his desk were three large monitors to do all his work when the middle monitor beeped, signalling an incoming call. Chuck's smile almost cracked his face. He pressed the button to accept the call. His Sarah's angelic face was on the screen.

"Hi honey!"

"Hi sweetie, how's work?"

"Oh, you know. Same old, same old. A client's security stinks and CI has to bail them out. Boring actually. Not anymore, now that I'm seeing you."

Sarah blushed and giggled like a school girl. He had such an effect on her. She was doomed from the very first day she saw his warm hazel eyes behind the Nerd Herd desk. Oh, how she loved this man. Putting on a cute pout, Sarah said "Oh poor baby. Sorry work was a little boring." Biting her lower lip, she knew it drove Chuck crazy. "But, I know many ways where I can 'unbore' you, baby. Remember Hawaii"?

Chuck gulped. How can he forget? She was AMAZING.

"Uhmm...uh...mmmhmmm."

"Well, how would you like it if I recreate that incredible night at the beach?" Chuck was just staring at the monitor, his eyes glazed. Not saying a word. "Chuck?" Nothing. "Chuck, honey?"

And a few seconds later, he smiled. The only one meant for her. _Oh my god, there it is! __**My **__smile._

Clearing his throat. "Uh, yeah...YEAH! I would love that." said Chuck, all flushed. He then stared at her. She was the most beautiful creature in the universe.

"What?"

"Nothing...Just thinking that it would be absolutely incredible if I were to recreate Paris for you."

This time, it was Sarah's turn to gulp. She remembered vividly how Chuck 'performed' in that wonderful time in Paris and all of a sudden, she felt weak on the knees. "Uh...uhmmm...yeah...Paris." She mumbled out.

Another round of Chuck's smile was sent her way and her heart skipped a beat. She was on fire. But, Sarah is known to always have the last word or at least win the battle of wits. She moved closer to the screen, licked her lips and looked at him through her eyelashes...batting them. Sarah then bent and blew him a kiss. Since she was wearing a button down shirt, when she bent, he got quite the view of her cleavage. She got him.

And like a moth going to a fire, he was hypnotized and his jaw went slack. The power this woman had over him was unmistakable. But, unlike her trained seduction skills, this was real. All that she did for Chuck was real. She loved and adored him and she would never hurt him.

She smiled when she saw that she had gotten the desired effect_. I broke my Chuck...again._ She internally giggled.

Chuck finally broke from his stupor and threw his hands up in the air. "Are you trying to kill me?...Woman!"

Sarah laughed. He looked so adorable. "No, not all Chuck. Just letting you know what awaits you."

"Oooh, I have a very good feeling what they are." He tugged on his shirt collar.

Sarah giggled and said: "Oh, by the way, Jason is here with Savannah, so be on your best behaviour. Love you, bye."

And just like that, she was gone. The super-hot kick arse ninja, mother of his three children, did a Beckman.

Chuck smiled...and then it faded. _Time to meet this Jason._

* * *

><p><strong>AN#2: We decided to split this into two. School's starting back on Tuesday, but I will try to have it out by then; if not by next Saturday. Feel free to review (even if it's as a guest) or to PM me if you have any suggestions.**

**Until next time,**

**Xoxoxo**

**~Barbadiangirl 01/01/2015**


	13. Interrogations

**A/N#1: One word. SCHOOL! That's the reason that I've been M.I.A.**

**Thanks to charahkids for helping me with this and to you readers for sticking with me. All errors are mine since I tinkered with this a bit since ck looked at it. **

**And btw, did y'all see that photo Zach captioned "Chuck vs The Smile Thieves" on Twitter? That cast is so awesome! :)**

**Chapter 13: Interrogations . Words: 8434**

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><p>Chuck stayed seated in his executive chair, contemplating his next move. He had to play this cool when he was going to meet Jason. He didn't want to upset and embarrass Savannah...well, maybe a little, but not upset her. She was his first born and he remembered like it was yesterday when Sarah was pregnant with her and the day Savannah Katelyn Bartowski introduced herself to the world.<p>

/\

**Flashback**

**Carmichael Industries, Burbank**

"Are you ok?"

"Uh huh."

"You sure?"

"Yep."

"Cause we can stop. Take a little breather."

"Chuck."

"Seriously. Let's stop."

"Chuck," Sarah repeated, growing agitated.

"It'd really be fine..."

"CHUCK!" He finally stopped talking and turned to listen to her. "We're going down stairs. There are five steps. This isn't a marathon or an Olympic Event." If she didn't go down the steps, how else did he expect her to leave CI and reach the car park?

"But you've already done so much walking already." Chuck justified. "The doctor did say not to put yourself under any unnecessary stress or physical exertion."

Sarah growled. She had barely walked from the car park, up to CI's lobby, conversed briefly with the receptionist before using the elevator to go up to his office on the fifteenth floor. And when Chuck had seen her, he did not seem that pleased to have her there.

"I've been a freaking couch potato for the last couple of days. And the doctor also said that some walking was good. Besides, I thought you would've been happy to see me." She confessed. There was only so much she could do at home. Her mother and Chuck already had the house spotless, so there wasn't any cleaning to be done. Not that they, especially Chuck would have allowed her to lift a finger anyway. The TV shows didn't catch her fancy and she and Mary couldn't have any more trips to the gun range until after her daughter was born. And today, her mother had gone to the Buy More for one of her favourite author's book signings. What was she supposed to do in her free time?

Chuck looked at Sarah. She was absolutely beautiful in her orange, raspberry, pink, and purple maxi dress topped off with a black cardigan. His eyes drifted to Sarah's stomach. Huge. Absolutely huge.

It looked like the baby was about to drop out any second. Chuck couldn't help it that he was paranoid. Hell, he couldn't believe she was still showing up at C.I. He expected, and wanted her to be at home, getting as much rest as she possibly could. The baby was due any day now. Well, technically Sarah's due date wasn't for another eleven days, but the books he'd read, Ellie and Sarah's OB/GYN had all cautioned that once past the thirty-seventh week, the baby could come at any time. He was constantly on the edge. He would be ready at any second. Really. He had timed himself and could make it from the living room to the car in 5 seconds, maybe 4.5 if he really exerted himself. From the kitchen took him 6.3, and the bedroom 15. He was positive though that a couple of nano seconds could be shaved off if he took the stairs three at a time.

"I'm sorry if it sounded like that. You know that I'm always happy to see you." Chuck said earnestly. He placed his hand on Sarah's stomach lovingly.

"Glad to hear it. But come on Chuck, you can't keep smothering me." She whined and just then she felt the baby kick. She smiled at her daughter's movement. "See, even Savannah agrees with me."

Chuck scowled. "She's not even born yet and already you two are teaming up on me." He joked.

Sarah laughed at him and kissed him on the cheek. Chuck became lost in his thoughts, imagining what it would be like when his daughter reached the stage in her development where she and her mother would actually team up on him.

He noticed that Sarah had gone down the stairs already and was making, more like waddling her way to the car park. "You coming?" She called out to him, her hand resting lightly atop her stomach as she walked. Chuck sighed and jogged the rest of the way to the car, hoping to reach the car before she did and thereby save her some of the walk.

/\

It had been a long day and Chuck wanted nothing more than to be at home with his wife. His fingers anxiously tapped the desk, as he waited for the coding program to finish. He had planned on spending the nine days leading up to Sarah's due date at home, but he had gotten a call from work which required his presence at C.I. With Casey for company and Emma, who had recently come to Burbank since her due date was near, Sarah told Chuck that she would be fine at home, he had reluctantly left her.

His phone buzzed on the table and the opening lines of "Feeling Good" began to play. He smiled at this and answered the phone, the smile still in place. "Hey babe."

"My water broke." He went still. Sarah's water had broken. That meant she was going into labour. Their baby would be here soon. He was ready for this, for fatherhood...wasn't he?! "Chuck?" Sarah questioned, uncomfortable with his lack of response. In the back of his consciousness, he heard the phone shuffle around a bit.

"Bartowski!" Came Casey's gruff voice. "Her water broke everywhere. I think some of it is on my shoe and the corner of my pants. I like these shoes." Casey growled. "Get your scrawny ass over here."

Emma's voice over the line next, much more gentle than Casey's. "Chuck, Sarah wants to take a shower before going to the hospital. I think that will give you enough time to reach here."

Chuck was cemented into place, numb with fear.

Wasn't he supposed to be doing something?

He couldn't remember.

"You're seriously complaining about your shoes Casey?!" He heard Sarah yell at Casey. "I'm the one who's about to have a baby who is the size of a freaking watermelon claw her way out of my-"

His brain started again, and he snapped into gear. "I'll be right there." He told his mother-in-law. Jogging down the hall, he came to Morgan's office.

"Yo Morg! Guess what?! Sarah's going into labour. Her water just broke."

Morgan smiled widely and jumped from his seat, wrapping his arms and legs around Chuck's longer body. "Dude, that is awesome. I'm gonna man the fort here until the program has finished running and then I'll make my way over to the hospital."

"Thanks buddy," Chuck replied, stepping out of the room.

/\

"Are you okay? Do you need to stop?"

"Oh, we are not going through this again."

"Going through what?" Emma asked from Sarah's other side, as they helped Sarah to the car.

"He gets all weird."

Emma chuckled softly. She had seen how overprotective Chuck was.

"Do you think this will come off?" Casey asked, walking beside them.

"What?"

"The stuff on my pants."

"Oh, get over it!" Sarah snapped.

Sarah climbed into the back seat, and Emma followed her. Casey deposited the suitcase in the front seat. Emma was already equipped with a stopwatch, a bottle of water and a face towel for the ride.

"I'll see you guys at the hospital in a bit." Casey said. He had agreed to lock up the house and inform the rest of the family, just in case Chuck was unable to do so. Casey would also be collecting Molly from school later in the evening if Emma was still in the delivery room with Sarah. Molly had recently transferred to a school close to Chuck and Sarah, so that made their stay at Charah's home more manageable.

Chuck climbed into the driver's seat and shoved the key into the ignition. "Ok, breathe.' He instructed, doing Lamaze breathing himself.

Sarah caught his gaze in the rear view mirror and held it for a moment, trying to let him know she was ok. They would be ok. She took his hand and patted it. _Don't freak out. We're ready for it. _Chuck squeezed her hand, signalling that the message had been received. Time to go have a baby.

/\

**Westside Medical**

"Push." The doctor instructed.

"Holy crap." Chuck said when he saw that the baby was crowning.

"I'm the one shoving the baby out, you insensitive prick!" Sarah complained. "And why are you down there looking?!" She raged.

Taking his cue, Chuck returned to Sarah's right side, the left currently being occupied by Emma who was wiping her forehead.

"Push!" The doctor instructed again. "Come on, I need a strong push."

"Don't you dare tell me anything about pushing!" Sarah said, squeezing Chuck's hand so hard he lost all sensation in it for a moment. He gritted his teeth. "I am pushing you idiot!" She screamed. What did he think she had been doing all this time? She was tired. Her muscles were on fire and she regretted the refusal of an epidural. She had been in labour for eighteen hours now. Eighteen hours. Eighteen. It was exhausting. Whoever said that walking around helped to quicken delivery lied. She had walked around with either Chuck, her mother, Mary, Ellie or Devon for company at various intervals and yet, here she was. Eighteen hours later and still pushing. Why couldn't her baby just slide out!?

The doctor smirked but it was hidden under her mask. This was turning out to be one of her most interesting deliveries. She had heard Sarah curse and threaten Chuck in seven different languages."Okay now, a few more pushes and your baby girl will be with you." The doctor encouraged.

"I can't, I can't." Sarah huffed painfully. "Doc do it for me." She whined as she laid her head back on the hospital pillow.

Chuck smiled and shook his head. "Honey, I'm afraid you're the only one who can now. Relax and build up that energy."

"No, no, no, I can't Chuck, I can't". She painfully whined again. "It hurts!"

"Come on Sarah bring your baby into the world." The doctor sternly told Sarah. "You've gotten so far. You can't give up now. I just need at most three strong pushes from you."

"Come on baby," Chuck encouraged, "a couple more pushes and our little girl will be here."

"Mm tired." She slurred, eyelids feeling heavy.

"Honey, you can't give up now. You're not a quitter."

Ten minutes, thirty-seven seconds and a lot of hand squeezing later, aloud wail pierced the room.

"It's a beautiful baby girl!" The doctor announced.

Sarah fell back on the pillows and smiled, contented. Her baby girl was finally here. She was also happy that the ultra sound technician had been correct in determining the sex of the baby. Not that she would've loved her child any less had it been a boy.

Chuck was awestruck. Tears of joy ran down his cheeks. Savannah was wiped off and wrapped in a blanket. The nurse placed Savannah in Sarah's arms and she was completely overwhelmed. Never in a million years did she think that The Enforcer, Ice Queen and super ninja spy would give birth to something so beautiful...

She was a mother.

Sarah looked down at the babe in her hands and smiled broadly. Savannah looked up at her with huge brown eyes. Sarah lightly ran her fingers down the length of her arm. When she reached Savannah's hand, the little girl grabbed her finger, tightly clutching it in her palm. Once again, Sarah swirled with emotion and she knew she'd do anything to make sure her baby girl was happy. She would have a much better childhood than either Chuck or she had. "Hey baby. I'm your Momma. And I promise to love you forever and ever. I'm so glad you're here."

"You're both gorgeous." said an emotionally voiced Chuck. Sarah released another series of tears and he knew his life has once again changed. The first time was meeting his daughter's mother. The ups and downs they went through and finally...

The nerd got the girl.

He saved his real girlfriend from Shaw and then his fiancé from the dreaded Norseman device where he almost lost her. But on that day of his daughter's birth, he knew he had a new role. A permanent mission. To ferociously protect, care for and love his daughter...

To be a father. In a soft, loving tone, Sarah said: "Hey, come pick her up." Chuck hesitated for a split second; she looked so small and fragile and Sarah reassured him. With a smile and her eyes still swimming with tears Sarah said: "Introduce yourself...Daddy".

He carefully took Savannah from Sarah's arms and cradled her in his arms. He still couldn't believe that this was happening. This miracle, this product of their love, was finally here. "Hey, cutie. I'm your daddy. You are just as beautiful as your mother." He paused to compose himself and then he continued. "You'll always be my little girl and I'll protect you, forever."

He was completely overwhelmed with love at seeing the little girl. His eyes roamed her face committing each detail to memory. She was still a bit pinkish and squishy looking, but that didn't matter. What did was that she was with them, safe and healthy. His fingers ghosted over Savannah's hair, and she smiled- well Chuck thought she did- a wide toothless smile that made his heart soar.

Sarah put her hand on her mouth as she continued to spill tears of joy. She still had to pinch herself on how lucky she was to meet such a wonderful man...the father of her daughter. She had meant every word of her wedding vows. Chuck really was a gift and she would cherish him and by extension the family they built together forever. Letting her eyes wander down to the tiny bundle in her husband's – even after two and a half years of marriage she couldn't get enough of calling Chuck that – arms, the juxtaposition of the small, delicate child in comparison to the size of Chuck's hands caused her to chuckle lightly under her breath. Despite the disparity in size between Chuck and his new daughter, the way he held her so gently yet securely in his arms, let Sarah know that Chuck would never let anything hurt the brown haired baby.

She had loved being pregnant; despite the morning sickness and swollen feet. Casey had enjoyed taunting her, bestowing nick names like 'the walking incubator' and the 'waddling penguin' but she took it all in stride, knowing that that was Casey's own way of showing his 'lady feelings'. Everywhere she went, people had told her how beautiful she looked, how much she looked to be enjoying carrying her child. And it was true; she had been over the moon. The joy she felt, knowing that she was giving Chuck a gift; that a new life was growing inside of her; much like their love had been unfathomably intense. She certainly wouldn't refute the idea of another child.

"We're both very lucky to have you, Chuck." sniffled Sarah. "I love you."

"I'm lucky that I now have two of the most important women in my life". He replied honestly. "And I love the both of you so so much." He kissed Savannah's hand and gave a small kiss Sarah on her lips. Remembering that Emma was in the room, Chuck passed the new-born to Emma, who was also overwhelmed and stepped outside to let his family know that Savannah and Sarah were both ok.

Hours later and visits from the entire Bartowski clan completed, Chuck was officially exhausted. He was still holding the precious bundle of pink and white blankets in his arms. The nurse had offered to take her down to the nursery, but he wasn't ready yet to have her away from them. He looked over to the sleeping Sarah and felt a wave of possessiveness and hot love go out to claim her. He had loved her for a long time, but now that she had borne him a child, he didn't think it was possible, but he loved her even more. He was extremely proud of Sarah. The labour had been arduous and there were a few times when he thought something would go terribly wrong, for example when the fetal monitor stopped showing a pulse. Not even in situations where he had been looking death in the face had he been so scared before. The thought of having almost lost his little Savannah terrified him. He looked down at the babe, enthralled with her and overjoyed that she was with them, healthy and alive.

He walked with her over to the window and described the outside and explained that what she was seeing was the world and she was never going out in it. He then informed her that boys were the epitome of evil and if one ever broke her heart, he would rip them limb from limb...from limb. He was sure that if Sarah had been awake to hear him, she would've laughed and told him he was being extreme. But, in his mind, he had a right to be as a new dad. Laying his daughter down in the crib, after checking it to make sure the thing was reinforced and finding satisfaction that it wouldn't break into a million pieces and drop his child on the cold hospital floor, he sat down by Sarah's bed and rested his head on the edge, intent on getting some sleep. She stirred and opened her eyes.

"There's room for you y'know." Her voice was still raspy from sleep.

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"I insist." She replied a bit forceful, and tugging his hand. He really couldn't say no.

**End flashback**

Chuck smiled at the memory. He had kept his promise to Savannah and had reaffirmed it to include his other children upon their birth. Having seen enough of the spy world to know that danger was always lurking in the shadows; both he and Sarah had done everything they could. But, for Chuck, one of the things he worried most about protecting his children from was heartbreak. He and Sarah had experienced enough of that- heartbreak over having your family torn apart and heartbreak from their romantic pairings ending on sour notes. They had succeeded and had every intention in preventing their children from ever experiencing heartbreak because of the former. Their love was too strong to let anything or anyone come between them. What they had was special, and they had been through too much together. However, Chuck was fearful of the girls being around boys. While he knew Savannah was growing up, he still had a hard time wrapping his head around the idea of her and a boy entering into a relationship. True, it would be at least two more years before she was allowed to date, but still... He sighed, maybe he just wasn't ready for his baby girl to grow up yet. Thankfully it would be a while before Zachia became interested in boys, and even longer before Levi became interested in girls.

* * *

><p><strong>~0\~**

Savannah and Jason had created their own study in the living room with books and other stationery sprawled out everywhere. Casey and Zachia were in a corner, playing with Landon and his toys so he wouldn't go interfering with his sister's work. When Landon said that he had to go potty, and insisted that he didn't want his sister, but rather his Uncle Casey to take him, Zachia was left to man the fort and keep surveillance on the pair as per Casey's orders. With Casey gone, Savannah and Jason took a break from their work and we're talking in quiet, hushed tones.

Zachia strolled over to them and plopped down on the floor, coming to rest on her tummy and propped her head up in her hands. "Sooooo," she drawled and Savannah glared at her for the interruption. "Jason, I feel like I need to know a bit more about you. What's your favourite colour?"

"Orange." Savannah replied before he got the word out. He smiled brightly at her and brushed his hands quickly over hers. The action did not go unnoticed by Zachia who scowled.

"How old are you?"

"Fourteen."

"When's your birthday?"

"What's with all the question?" Her sister jumped in, clearly annoyed. "Don't you know we have work to do? I'll tell Mom that you're interrupting us." Savannah threatened.

"I'm just trying to be nice." Zachia said innocently. "Besides, Jason, you don't mind, do you?" He looked at both sisters, unsure of how to respond.

"Well, um, not really?" He had a feeling that Savannah's younger sister was a force to be reckoned with. Savannah groaned and sent her sister a dirty look.

"Goodie, so your birthday is…" She let the sentence hang. "June 5th."

"Oh, interesting. Did you know that that's the date Ronald Reagan died? He died on June 5th 2004 to be exact. He had Alzheimer's disease." Maybe it was a sign that this guy was bad news Zachia thought.

Jason raised his eyebrow at her. "How old are you again? You seem to know quite a bit about Reagan."

"I'm nine." She smiled proudly. "So, what are your views on Reagan?"

"He's alright I guess." Jason shrugged.

"I see." Zachia replied, a small hint of vitriol in her voice. _Alright?! Just alright? That's the adjective he used to describe __Ronald Reagan__?_ She carefully masked her emotions so that her lips wouldn't be set in a frown. Her Uncle Casey had always emphasized the importance of not letting your interrogatee know what you were thinking or how you were feeling when they answered a question. Putting this faux pass behind her, she decided to reserve her final judgement for after he had answered all of her questions. "Are you Republican or Democrat?"

"I'm undecided. It's not like I can vote anyway." He didn't care that much for politics at the moment.

"Do you support communism?"

"No."

"What about fascism?"

"No."

"Totalitarianism?"

"No."

"Dictatorship?" She was firing the questions off in quick succession.

"Zachia, stop it." Savannah snapped. "Seriously, there's no need to ask him a hundred and one questions." Jason smiled at her gratefully.

"Well excuse me for being polite." She snarked, getting up from off the floor and dusting herself off. "Jason, it was nice getting to know you a bit better." She then skipped out of the room to make her report to Casey.

"Sorry about that. Zachia can go a little overboard sometimes."

"It's OK." Jason shrugged. "Besides, now that she's gone, we finally have some time alone." He tucked a lock of Savannah's auburn hair behind her ear. _Oh crap? Did I really say that out loud? At least Savannah was smiling, so I hadn't made a complete fool of myself._

/\

Zachia intercepted Casey as he came out of the bathroom with Landon. "What's the report soldier?" Casey asked gruffly.

"He's fourteen, born on the day Reagan died, which might be a bad omen, doesn't really have an opinion on Reagan, and is against communism, dictatorship, and pretty much all the oppressive regimes that we are." Zachia rambled off quickly.

Casey smiled at her. "Good work soldier. Your intel has been valuable."

"Thank you Sir." She smiled, extremely proud of her interrogation skills.

"Now come on. We have to get back in there before they start playing footsie or he tries to dip his chocolate in her peanut butter or any of that nonsense." Casey grunted. _Then I'd have to kill him._

Zachia giggled. She didn't know what any of that meant, but Uncle Casey was so humorous when he talked like that. Her father didn't think so though. Laughing again, when Casey yelled that she was falling behind, she ran to catch up with him and Landon. Casey cleared his throat loudly from the archway to the living room. With wide eyes, Savannah and Jason looked up to him and put more distance between them, blushing furiously. Casey narrowed his eyes at them, wondering just what they had been talking about that necessitated them to be in such close proximity. "I think break time is over." Casey announced. He sat in the one seater closest to the two children and put his feet up on the centre table, staring at them intimidatingly. "Eyes on the books."

/\

Chuck pulled the key out of ignition and grabbed his folders from the passenger seat. He usually didn't like bringing his work home, but this particular job was becoming tedious and he wanted it over as soon as possible. Stepping out of the Lotus, he smiled as he breathed in the fresh air. Sarah still loved her sports cars, and that's why they now had three. Her newest Lotus wasn't at all suited for transporting their children, so they had a minivan, Chuck's car and the Lotus. Sarah had left work early, and he had worked his Bartowski charm to coax her into driving home his car and leaving the Lotus behind. He waved to his neighbour, Jonathan who was mowing the lawn and walked up the pathway to the red door.

"Honey, I'm home." He opened the door and called out. Sarah came out to greet him, a big smile on her face.

"Hi baby." She kissed him chastely on his lips. Chuck however, wrapped his arms around her waist tightly and kissed her deeply. When he pulled away, Sarah was flushed, breathless, and overwhelmed. "Hi." Sarah smiled again as he nuzzled her neck. "Chuck, we have company." His hands were venturing dangerously up her shirt and her breath hitched. Chuck smirked against her skin.

"Yuck! I'm gonna be sick." Casey snarled as he walked towards them. Landon was in his arms and he had one hand covering the child's eyes. Sarah and Chuck separated instantly.

"And hello to you too Casey." Chuck greeted, taking Landon from him.

"Bartowski, can't you ever give it a rest?"

"Oh bite me Casey."

"You're not my type Bartowski." Casey said, walking away from them.

Chuck stuck his tongue out at his retreating form, before turning his attention to Landon. "Hey buddy. Did you have a good day today? Anything interesting happened at school?" Landon nodded and sang the first half of his alphabet, showing off what he had learnt. Chuck smiled at him. "Well aren't you the smartest little guy?"

Landon smiled, happy with the compliment. "Yeas Daddy! Me smart boy."

"I'm a smart boy." Sarah corrected.

Landon shook his head. "No Momma. You girl. I am a boy!"

Sarah smiled. She was not going to win this one.

"Where are the girls?" Chuck asked her.

"Zachia's in her room, doing homework. She also has a quiz tomorrow so when she's finished the homework, she needs to study and Savannah and Jason are in the living room."

"The living room." Chuck parroted happily. This was great. The living room was open…no doors for them to close and get up to mischief.

"I bet you're just anxious to meet him." Sarah smirked.

"Oh, definitely." Chuck grinned. "Remember what I said; be on your best behaviour."

Chuck scoffed. "Please, Sarah, it's me!" She rolled her eyes, that's exactly what she was afraid of.

/\

Savannah and Jason had completed their homework and were busy putting their stuff away. It was nearing six and Jason's mother would be over soon to pick him up. Chuck watched them, as they stacked the books. Savannah was laughing at something Jason said. Chuck loved to hear her laughter. It was such a melodious sound. His eyes went over to Jason, taking in his appearance. He was athletic, that much Chuck gathered from his muscles, and the tan told him that he spent a lot of time outdoors.

"Bryce" muttered a frowning Chuck.

Sarah gave him a tiny elbow jab on his ribs. '_Be nice, Chuck.'_ She communicated non-verbally.

_'Ok, OK!' _He smiled in an attempt to placate her.

He cleared his throat loudly and the two turned to him. Sarah was by his side in case Chuck got too out of hand.

"Hi Daddy!" Savannah greeted him. She skipped over, hugged him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek, as was their customary greeting. "How was work?" Chuck smiled down at her when she released him from the hug. He was glad, and a bit surprised, that she had been so affectionate towards him even though Jason was there.

"Hey cupcake." He greeted. Her nickname had come from her first Halloween costume when he and Sarah had picked out an adorable cupcake outfit. "Work was pretty much boring. I've got this one case that wants to go on forever and ever, but I'm sure with your Mom's help I can close it pretty soon." She smiled at him again.

Chuck flicked his gaze to Jason and looked at Savannah questioningly. Her smile faltered for just a bit. At the moment, she was extremely nervous and the "Oh, um Daddy," she began. Suddenly, her mouth felt extremely dry and her tongue was lying in her mouth, limp and useless. "This is Jason, my um, friend from school. Jason, this is my Daddy, Chuck."

"Mr. Bartowski is fine." Chuck said. Savannah frowned. _So, Daddy is gonna be a hard arse about this._

She looked at Jason, who had been silent and had made no acknowledgement of the introduction. She tapped him on the shoulder, bringing him out of whatever stupor he had been in. Jason was a bit startled by the contact and shook his head to clear the cobwebs. Based on what Zachia had told him about their father being bigger and tougher than their Uncle Casey, he had conjured up an image of well, a real life Hulk except for the being green part. That had made him even more nervous about meeting their father. But, now that the man was in front of him, he felt a lot more relaxed. Their father seemed like a regular guy. And his brown eyes, like Savannah's seemed warm and loving. He realised that he had been looking at Chuck for far too long than would be considered appropriate and, finally finding his voice, said; "Hello, Chuck," he noticed Chuck's eyes darken slightly, no longer having that warmth in them and quickly corrected himself. " um, er I mean Mr. Bartowski, it's nice to meet you." He smiled and stuck his hand out, hoping to relieve the tension he felt between them.

Chuck barely managed to keep the frown away when Jason called him by his first name. Clearly he hadn't been listening when he said Mr. Bartowski was fine. _Strike one_. Nevertheless, he couldn't leave the teen there hanging. Sarah had told him to be on his best behaviour and he would try. It was just that something about his smile, maybe the way it seemed so slick reminded him of Bryce. He stuck his hand out and shook Jason's, applying just enough pressure so that the teen knew that though he might not have looked imposing, there was much more than what met the eye. "It's nice to finally put a face to the name after hearing so much about you." Chuck said.

Savannah looked down at the floor and her cheeks were tainted red. Her father just made it sound like he was all she talked about. Chuck had released Jason from the handshake but was still looking at him intently. Savannah noticed that her friend was becoming uncomfortable and looked up to her mom, silently asking her to intervene and cut the tension. Sarah received the message, nodded and smiled reassuringly at her baby girl. Sarah took Landon who was looking incredibly bored from his father's arms and set him down on his feet. The little boy picked up his stuffed dinosaur in one hand and a tractor in another and tottered off to find his Uncle Casey hoping that he would play with him. Now that Chuck's hands were free, Sarah grabbed his right hand in her left and squeezed.

"Chuck, I'm sure the kids have some work to finish. Let's get out of their way." He smirked. He knew exactly what she was trying to do. Sarah tugged his arm, attempting to drag him off into the kitchen, or anywhere else really, but he pulled back. "Chuck." she warned, her blue eyes betraying a hint of annoyance and anger. _Don't. You promised. _

"C'mon! I'm not gonna do anything crazy. I just want to get to know him a little better." He whispered. Sarah sighed. She hated when he was so stubborn.

"If you do anything to upset her, you will be cut off for three weeks." She whispered into his ear.

Chuck scoffed. "As if you could ever resist me for that long. You'd miss the Chuck magic baby."

Sarah raised her brow, challenging him. "I went three years Chuck. Three. Years. You keep that in mind. And you can forget all about me recreating Hawaii for you if you mess this up. You do anything to make her upset and the guest bedroom will also become yours for those same three weeks."

Chuck was going to retort that she wouldn't last that long, and that she especially wouldn't let him sleep in the guest room. After all, who would keep her feet warm or whose heartbeat would lull her to sleep? He thought better of it. It was better not to poke that bear with a stick. He knew that Sarah would see it as a a challenge and would want to have the last say.

Chuck sat down on the couch and Savannah sent Sarah a panicked looked. She shook her head slightly and then gave her a thumbs up, indicating that she would keep her father under control.

"Sooooooo," Chuck drawled before he launched into his interrogation. "Jason, I know quite a bit about Vannah's other friends, but you are a completely new slate for me, so why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"

"Well I'm fourteen and an only child. My Dad's in the army, so I don't get to see him that much." He sighed sadly.

Chuck paused, feeling sorry for the teen. "I'm thankful for his service, but I also hope you get to see him sometime again soon."

"He's in East Angola right now, but after this deployment, he'll be coming home for six months."

"That's nice that you'll get to spend some quality time with him." Sarah said conversationally.

"Jason, did Vannah ever tell you my work at CI?" Since they were in the topic of work, he thought it'd be nice to see how much he knew about his work. "Uh...yeah?" "Ok, so how would you describe it as being? Would you say I'm more of a geek or a nerd?"

Both Savannah's and Sarah's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Chuck pulled a fast one and this was not good.

Jason remembered Savannah saying something about her father fixing computers. So, he came up with..."Uh...uhmm...geek?" It made sense to him, considering that the guys who fixed computers over at Large Mart were called the 'Geek Squad'. _Ding! Strike two._

Savannah gasped and put her hand on her mouth and closed her eyes shaking her head slowly. _This was a nightmare_! She could visualize her father as a judge in a court room sentencing the defendant, in this case Jason as guilty without even giving him a fair chance. _Did he really have to go there though?_ She was a bit upset with him. It wasn't fair that he was going all interrogator on her friend. And since most people didn't really know or had never thought about the differences in meaning concerning the two words, she felt her father was just looking for a reason to dislike Jason.

Sarah heard something from Chuck she'd never heard before. Was that a growl? It sounded primal. It was much more Casey-esque than what she would expect from her husband. Sarah was stunned. Could Chuck actually...behave like Casey had when he found out about Morgan and Alex? Could this sweet, good hearted, kind, selfless man be capable of such a thing? Did being a father change Chuck to someone Sarah didn't know? Sure, he was overprotective, but would he go this far as to pass judgement without giving the poor teen a chance?

Sarah placed her hand on Chuck's arm and he slightly jumped, turned to her and she smiled. His hard eyes softened and he took a deep breath. Chuck had to call on his calm center and reminded himself to be nice...for his daughter. That had been a trick question. He guessed Jason could be excused from that one. Savannah was relieved when her father was back from whatever world Chuck came from and smiled too, the scowl which had been on her face a few moments ago now gone. Jason was...well...terrified. _Mad Dog_.

"I actually prefer 'nerd'.

"Oh, um sorry." Jason apologised.

"Ah, it's ok." Chuck shrugged. "So, what about TV? Any favourites?"

"I don't really watch that much TV. I prefer to exercise my imagination by reading books, after all, reading does open a million doors to a million other places. I do like some sci-fi shows though."

"So, are you a Trekkie or do you prefer Star Wars?"

"I've watched both, but I prefer Star Wars." Chuck smiled, and Jason took this to be a very good thing. "I like certain graphic novels as well."

"And in your opinion, who's the most important graphic novelist: Grant Morrison or Moore/Gibbons?

"I'm kind of a Brian K. Vaughan guy myself."

Again, Chuck couldn't stop the smile that came to his face. Maybe this kid wasn't all that bad. He was also pretty sure that Morgan would enjoy his pop cultural knowledge. They talked some more and finally came upon the topic of video games. Chuck learned that he, Savannah and Jason had something in common as they all loved to play. Upon hearing this, he went over to the TV and set up the console, in preparation for a gaming session. Savannah turned to Jason and gave him a thumbs up, letting him know he had done well.

* * *

><p><strong>~0\~**

"You like him, don't you?" Zachia's taunted.

"Like who?" Savannah played dumb.

"Jason. Duh!" She exasperated. "Come on, tell me the truth." She bounced on the bed with excitement. "I'm very good at keeping secrets. I wouldn't even tell Uncle Casey. I'd never spill my intel. Not even under torture!"

Savannah rolled her eyes and swatted Zachia's with a pillow. "Shut up."

"I'd understand why you like him though. He's cute and smart. I wasn't sure if Daddy would take to him. In the beginning, but over dinner, he seemed ok." Zachia was a bit disappointed that she had missed Chuck's introduction to Jason. She could only imagine the look on Jason's face when he realised she had duped him into believing her father was a larger and scarier version of Uncle Casey. "Did you kiss him?" Zachia's prodded after a moment.

Savannah blanched. "Why would you ask me that?"

"Because, when me and Uncle Casey came back into the living room, you two were really close and you had that look that Mommy gets when she wants to kiss Daddy."

"What look?" "The oh-my-gosh-I-could kiss-you-for-hours- look. I think it's cute when Daddy and Mommy do it, but Uncle Casey says it's disgusting." They were silent for a moment and Savannah had her fingers crossed that her sister had forgotten her earlier question.

"You can tell me the truth, I won't tattle to Mommy or Daddy. Did you kiss Jason?" She asked again, her voice a bit louder than the first time. Savannah quickly covered her sister's mouth with her hands. If her parents, especially her father, happened to walk by and hear, well, she was sure he would blow a gasket.

"Shh, keep your voice down." Zachia held her hands up in surrender and Savannah removed her hand. Hopping of the bed, she closed her bedroom door. "No I didn't kiss him."

Zachia scoffed and cocked her head to the side. "Reallyyyyyyyy?"

Savannah nodded. "Yes really." Zachia kept her gaze firm, but so did Savannah. She had no reason to falter under her sister's gaze. Besides, she was the oldest! She didn't have to stand for this interrogation by her sister. "Is there a reason you're in my room, or did you just come to pester me?"

"I wanted some help with my History. We have a quiz on the U.S.A's past presidents."

"Why didn't you go to Mom? She did spend a year in the Presidential Secret Service. I'm sure she knows a lot about all our Presidents. Or Daddy could've helped."

"Because Daddy is bathing Landon, and you know that's gonna take forever because Landon likes to splash water all over the place, and Mommy said she was a bit tired, so she's gone to rest for a few minutes ."

"And I should help you because?"

"Because I'm your favourite sister and you love me." Zachia's smiled innocently.

"You're my only sister." Savannah deadpanned.

"And I won't tell Daddy that you hacked the parental controls."

"As for hacking the parental controls, that was the both of us, so you have nothing to gain." They had done the aforementioned activity when Emma had come over to stay with them, Chuck and Sarah having travelled to Hawaii for their wedding anniversary. Emma had gotten Landon to fall asleep by quarter to eight and then sent them to bed at nine. However, they weren't tired, and after making sure that their grandmother was asleep, the two sisters had gone back down to the living room to watch TV. Unfortunately, their parents had blocked programs after nine o'clock, but they had soon made quick work of hacking the parental controls and watched TV until almost midnight. Zachia waved her hand dismissively.

"Trivial details."

"You were kinda annoying when Jason was over here. I think that's enough of a reason for me not to help you."

"Please Vannah? Pretty please with a cherry on top? I promise I'll be nicer next time. I was just making sure he was good enough for you."

"Whoah, hold up. You make it sound like we're getting married or something."

"But I know you like him, even if you don't tell me. And you're almost fourteen, so soon you'll have permission to date and that means you will probably want to date Jason and he will want to date you too because I think he likes you, and then you can become boyfriend and girlfriend and then maybe in a couple of years, like when you're thirty and when Daddy warms up to the idea, you can get married." She rambled on.

She thought about what her sister said. The part about her father warming up to the idea when she was thirty sounded very plausible. Her father had always been overprotective of them, and she didn't see that changing anytime soon. She was sure that if her mother hadn't made him see reason, she would not be dating, until she was maybe at least eighteen. Shrugging, she replayed Zachia's words in her head and a smile came to her face. "You really think he likes me?"

"Uh huh." Zachia nodded her head exuberantly. "So, are you gonna help me or not?"

"Fine, fine." Savannah agreed to help her, since she had finished all of her homework anyway. Zachia ran out of the room and returned with her history text book and her notebook a few minutes later. "So, U.S. Presidents? Sounds easy enough." Savannah took up the thick text book and sifted through it. "Which US President referred to the Soviet Union as an 'evil empire' and ordered the invasion of Grenada to reverse a communist coup?"

Zachia scoffed. "That's tooooooo easy. Ronald Reagan. He was the 40th President and held office from January 20th 1981 to 1989. " Savannah smiled. With the amount of time she spent watching Reagan documentaries with Casey and Casey's constant praises for Reagan, it would've been a shame if she didn't know the answer. She shook her head. Uncle Casey took the Reagan thing a bit too far sometimes. _Seriously? Who swore to Reagan?_ Shrugging, she thought of another question, one which would be much harder.

"You do know that Uncle Casey and I consider the Gipper to be one of, if not the best President of this great nation don't you?"

Savannah rolled her eyes. It was kind of sweet how much her sister took to their Uncle Casey. She seemed to enjoy doing pretty much everything with him and reveled in the attention that Casey showed her. She wasn't jealous of their relationship though. Sure she loved Uncle Casey, but she simply didn't find Reagan and his war stories as enthrall in gas her sister did.

"Well, little Ms. Know-All-About-Reagan, what do you have to say about him dismissing claims of acid rain as harmful to the environment."

Zachia pursed her lips. She and Uncle Casey had never discussed that. She'd have to do some of her own recon on the topic before she got back to her sister. "I'll get back to you on that."

Savannah laughed. If she broached the topic with Casey,she was certain he would grunt something about Reagan being a pillar of environmentalists or some other excuse.

Forty-five minutes later, Savannah was satisfied that her sister was properly prepared for the quiz. She shut the book and told her it was soon time for her to go to bed. Zachia's thanked her and said she was confident that she'd place first in the quiz. "You do know that if you win, you have to share the prize with me, since I helped you prepare?"

"The winner is getting stationery and a chocolate." Zachia's laughed. "I'm sure you'd rather share chocolate with someone else. The name begins with 'J'" Zachia's teased.

"Get out of my room." Savannah ordered. " I have things to do."

"Ooohh, like talk to Jason?" She took up her books, scrambled off the bed and darted to the door, barely missing the pillow which her sister threw at her.

"You're so immature."

Zachia laughed. "Savannah and Jason, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love, then comes-" her eyes widened when she saw her father in the hallway with a half sleeping Landon in his arms. "Oh...um hi Daddy."

/\

When Chuck finally made his way to the master bedroom, after putting Landon down and talking to his girls, he found Sarah preparing for bed.

"You took longer than I expected. What happened? Was Landon uncooperative to get into bed?"

He shook his head. "No, Landon was down in at least ten minutes. Whatever playing he and Casey did this evening really tuckered him out."

"Then where were you?"

"I spent some time talking to the girls." Chuck explained. He had tucked Zachia, read her a story and asked her some questions. "I asked Zachia some questions and she seems well prepared. I think she will do well on the quiz."

"And what did you and Savannah talk about?" Sarah asked, climbing into bed. Chuck followed her under the comforter. Immediately they sought each other out and Chuck wrapped his arms around her.

"Mostly about Jason."

Sarah was surprised and rose her brow. "And?" She was extremely curious as to how that had gone.

"She likes him." Chuck said after a moment.

"She told you that herself?" Sarah asked. She had already talked to Savannah and she admitted that she had a crush on him. Sarah wasn't surprised by the admission. Following her confession, she had explained to her that there was nothing wrong with having a crush on him and it was all a part of growing up. She did however remind Savannah that she was not allowed to date yet. She just wasn't too sure how Chuck would take it.

"She didn't have to." I could see it from the last time when she wanted to go to the movies with him and how flustered she got when Zachia teased her at dinner. "But yes, she told me she had a crush on him."

"And how do you feel about that?" Sarah questioned, drawing small circles on his chest.

He sighed. "I don't know, I guess a part of me wants to lock her up forever so that she can never be hurt. But another part of me, is glad that she was able to admit it to me." He didn't want any of his children to feel like they couldn't talk to him about anything.

Sarah smiled against his body, happy with the way he was taking this. She too understood that they couldn't smother their children. It would only lead to resentment or rebellion, either of which she didn't want to see happen.

"Jason's a nice boy."

"Yea, he is." Chuck murmured sleepily. "That doesn't mean that I'm changing my stance in her not dating until she's fifteen."

Sarah laughed. "The thought never crossed my mind."

"Good." Chuck replied. "Or maybe we can reconsider and bump it up to sixteen."

"We can talk about that tomorrow."

"Good night babe, love you." He whispered and kissed her hair.

Sarah craned her neck and kissed him deeply on the lips. When she pulled away, she was mightily satisfied. That was a proper kiss. She was certain that if Chuck wasn't so tired, it would've been the rising action to something else. "Good night Chuck. I love you too." He wrapped his arms tighter around her. Sarah smiled at the gesture. He made her feel safe. That was something she never felt, ever. Not in her childhood, not with Bryce and certainly not during her time with the CIA even though she was their best agent. But now, listening to Chuck's soft snores, the coolness from his wedding band resting on her slightly exposed stomach, and with the knowledge that her children were down the hall, happy, healthy and loved, Sarah realised something. She was living the life she only dreamed of.

* * *

><p><strong>There it is, the wrap up to that arc. Thanks so much for reading and feel free to review, even if it's as a guest. I have a couple more story lines floating around in my mind, but external exams are soon approaching, but maybe I will be able have something out during the upcoming Easter vacation.<strong>

**~ Until next time,**

**xoxoxo**

**Bg. 19/03/2015**


	14. Three's Company

**A/N: I hope you guys had a wonderful Easter. Thanks as always to charahkids for beta'ing this for me and to all of you who have read, reviewed, favourited and/or placed the story/me on alert. Your support is greatly appreciated.**

**Oh, and I've written two other little pieces recently: 'Casey vs Sariah Bartowski' and 'Just Like Daddy'. Check them out if you haven't already. :D**

**Hope you like this story.**

**Chapter 14: Three's Company.**

**Words: 8,079**

* * *

><p>"Mommy!" Little five year old Skylar called out.<p>

"Give me a minute Sky; I have to finish changing Levi's diaper." Skylar frowned and watched as her mother worked quickly to change her two month old brother. With a resigned sigh, she made her way downstairs, looking for her father. In the living room, she found her father feeding the younger twin, Landon.

"Daddy, can you come play with me?"

"In a minute Skylar."

"How long is in a minute?" She grumbled. Chuck however, hadn't heard her and she strolled out of the room angrily. "In a minute Sky, in a minute Skylar...Humph." She mocked them with a scowl. _Maybe I should call Uncle Casey and have him come over and play with me. _Sure, he complained when they played Tea Parties and wiped the makeup which she used to make him look more lady-like off of his face as soon as they were finished playing dress up, but that was better than being ignored by her parents.

**/\**

"No one pays attention to me anymore. Not since Levi and Landon were born." Skylar confided in her friend David. "My Mommy and Daddy don't care about me now. They wouldn't even come play with me."

"My mom is a nurse at the hospital and she says babies need a lot of attention. I'm sure they still love you."

Skylar shook her head at him forlornly. "I don't think so. I bet if I ran away they wouldn't even notice."

David's eyes widened. His father was a police officer and had always warned him about running away since bad things could happen. "You can't run away! Bad things could happen to you!" He said concerned.

"I'm not going to." She confessed. "If I ran away, I'd be all alone. I wouldn't have anywhere to go, and I can't take all my things with me, so there'd be no point." She was also sure that if she did, she would be found rather quickly since her parents still operated their cyber-security company and would also probably contact her Auntie Beckman. With an 'aunt' who was in the USA military, she was sure the tiny redhead would give her parents the resources they needed to find her.

"Promise you aren't gonna run away?" He asked still not convinced.

"Pinkie promise." She affirmed holding out her finger and they locked their pinkies together. He smiled at her then, a big toothy smile. "I do wish I could move out though. That way, I wouldn't have to see Mommy and Daddy fawning over Levi and Landon all the time." She sighed. "But I'm not allowed to move out until I'm ready to go to college or unless I get married."

He smiled sympathetically. "Oh jeez, that's bad."

She nodded. Then an idea came to her and a light shone in her eyes. "I know what to do! You have to marry me."

"Me? Marry you?" He parroted, incredulous.

"Yes!"

"But I'm only six. My daddy doesn't even let me stay up after eight, and I haven't even learned fractions yet. We're too young to get married. I'm sorry."

"But married people are allowed to do what they want. They can go to bed whenever they feel like. They don't have to go to school unless they want to. This is a perfect arrangement."

He was pensive for a moment. "Ok."

"You still have to propose."

"And how do you do that?"

Skylar smiled. She had heard her parents' proposal story many times. "First, you have to get down on your knee."

"Which one?"

"It doesn't matter." She shrugged.

He complied and went down on his right knee. "Skylar Emily Bartowski, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed happily.

"Wait, don't we need to rent a church? I don't know about you, but my piggy bank isn't full and it probably costs lots and lots of money."

"Everyone doesn't have to get married in a church. My Auntie Ellie and Uncle Awesome got married on the beach."

"That must've been so cool. That means you could build sand castles and go for a swim afterwards."

Skylar nodded in agreement. A beach wedding did sound wonderful. Too bad they couldn't have one. "It does, but our wedding will be in the backyard and we can make it however we want."

Thirty minutes later, they were in the backyard, waiting for their two neighbours to show up. They had conversed over the white picket fence that separated the houses and after asking their parents' permission, Mark and his younger sister Lucia came over.

Skylar and David stood in front of a small cherry tree in the yard, as they prepared to start the wedding ceremony.

"Wait, the bride needs a cold, something new, something borrowed, and something blue." Lucia piped up.

Skylar frowned. She was already wearing a blue and white shirt, and her jeans were blue. The bride having a cold she wasn't too sure about. Who would willingly catch a cold for their wedding day? "I can't catch a cold at will you know." She pouted.

"I guess it doesn't really matter. Getting a cold sucks anyway." Lucia told her after a moment. "You can borrow my bracelet." Lucia offered taking off said piece of jewellery and clasping it around Skylar's wrist.

Skylar smiled her thanks. "Are you sure you know what you're doing Mark?" Skylar asked their appointed minister.

He nodded confidently. "I've watched this on TV many times." _How hard could it be?_

"OK, let's get this show on the road."

"Merely beloved," he began, "we are gathered here today to unite this couple in only mattress money. Marriage is a coverment, not to be entered lightly. It's time for the wedding bows."

The two children bowed cordially. Skylar then passed her flowers (which they had hastily picked from the yard) to Lucia so that she could hold David's hands in hers.

"Do you David Sean Rochester, take Skylar Emily Bartowksi to be you awfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in wealth, for butter-"

"Isn't it better?" Lucia interrupted her brother.

"For better," he amended "or for worse, in good times and in bad, and for the sake of all others, be fruitful for long as you live?"

"What does being fruitful have to do with it?" Skylar asked the 'minister' with a frown.

"And how can you be fruitful? Does that mean you have to be like a fruit?" Lucia was also confused. _How was one supposed to be like a fruit?_

"Are you sure you're saying it right?" David raised his eyebrows.

Mark glared at them, annoyed with their interruptions. He knew what he was talking about. He had been to church last Sunday and he specifically remembered the pastor reading 'be fruitful and multiply' from the Bible. Surely the same thing applied here! "I know what I'm doing." He told them confidently. "So, do you take her?"

"I do."

"And Skylar, do you take David to be your awfully wedded husband and all that other stuff I just said?"

"I do."

"Do you have the rings?"

Lucia, who was serving as the full bridal party handed one ring pop each to Skylar and David. They opened the packets and slid the wearable plastic rings with a large hard candy jewel on each other's fourth left finger.

"Yours is strawberry." David told her. Skylar took a lick and smiled. "My favourite, you're already a good husband."

David smiled at the compliment. His ring pop was his favourite too- blueberry blast. "So are you. A good wife I mean, cause you're a girl so you can't be a husband." He rambled and Skylar giggled.

"I now announce you man and wife. You can kiss now."

"Kiss?" David and Skylar screeched at the same time.

"That's what the minster says all the time. You're not really married until you kiss." Mark said, shrugging.

"But my Daddy says kissing is for grown-ups, unless you're kissing a family member. He said I shouldn't kiss a girl until I'm older."

"And Skylar can't kiss him!" Lucia cried horrified. "She'll get cooties."

"I don't have cooties!" David defended.

"So what do we do now?" Skylar said realizing they'd hit a stalemate.

"Maybe we should just shake hands then?"

Mark shrugged. "I guess that could work."

The pair shook hands and Lucia and Mark clapped and cheered. They were married now.

**/\**

Chuck strolled out into the yard with Levi in his arms. "Hey guys. The four children stopped their game of tag and returned the greeting. "Is everything OK out here?"

"Yes Daddy."

"OK, good. You've been out here for a while, are you hungry?"

"Can you make us some sandwiches Daddy?"

"Sure. What kind?"

"Peanut butter and jelly!" They all shouted.

"Ok, PB&J, classic. I'll just go put Levi down and get to making the sandwiches."

Skylar smiled. They could eat under the shade of the cherry tree and that would be her wedding reception. When Chuck brought them the sandwiches, they ate them quickly and then it was time for the couple's first dance. Lucia, singing the only song she knew at least half the words to, sung Let it Go while her brother provided the backup and instrumentals, using an upturned plant pot as the drums and occasionally hummed. Skylar and David swayed to the music, smiling at each other. Lucia and Mark's mother had called them home shortly after the reception, so Skylar and David were left in the yard, lying on their backs and pointing out what the clouds looked like. So far, they had spotted one that looked like an elephant and another that resembled a car.

"Married people live together." Skylar told David. "Where are we gonna live?"

"I have to share my room with my older brother, remember? So all of us can't stay there." He said forlornly.

"What about your tree house?"

"It's boys only."

"So?" She raged. "I'm your wife now, which means what's yours is mine and what's mine is yours."

David pouted at the thought, but then smiled. That meant that her toys were his and vice versa and that in turn meant they would have more toys than any other kid on the street. "It still isn't big enough to fit two beds and clothes and everything else we would need." Skylar sighed. Being married and figuring out living arrangements was hard. "Your house is big! We could live here."

They both sat up. She shook her head defiantly. "No we can't. Because then I'll have to see the twins all the time. The whole point of us being married is so that someone pays attention to me only. If you move in, then you will start paying more attention to Landon and Levi than me. That's what everyone does."

David placed his hands over hers comfortingly. "I'll always pay lots and lots of attention to you."

Skylar smiled and hugged him. "You're the best David."

"Thanks."

"I have an idea, maybe we should move away."

"Move away?" He parroted, hesitantly.

"Yes! We can move to another state or another country. Oooohhh, I know, we can go the Caribbean. They've got a lot of beaches there, and it's sunny most of the time and we can go swimming every day. It'll be like a permanent vacation."

"But isn't the Caribbean like a bazillion miles away? How would we get there?"

She was pensive for a moment. "My Uncle Casey can fly a plane, he can take us."

"But then we wouldn't see our families."

"We can visit often."

"I'm not so sure it's a good idea."

"This being married stuff is complicated." Skylar huffed.

"Yea." He agreed kicking a pebble.

They decided to put their 'marital problems' on hold and went back to playing on Skylar's swing set. Soon afterwards, David had to leave because his father was being honoured at a police force banquet and the entire family was going. He bid Skylar goodbye and went home.

* * *

><p><strong>~0\~**

"Hey baby." Sarah greeted Skylar when she entered the kitchen. She huffed and continued on her way. Sarah stared at her retreating form, wondering what was wrong with her daughter. Sighing, she finished wiping the kitchen counter before following Skylar into her room. There, she found Skylar lying in bed. Sarah sat on the edge of her bed. "What's wrong?" Skylar turned on her side, facing the wall and backing her mother. Sarah frowned. "Are you feeling sick?" Sarah continued. Skylar was usually a ball of energy and her behaviour was unusual, considering that it was a Friday evening. She never went to bed this early on her own accord. She shook her head no. Well, maybe she was kind of sick...sick of the twins. "Are you upset that your friends had to go home?" Skylar nodded. At least her friends paid some attention to her. She couldn't say the same for her parents.

It was always Landon this and Levi that and the twins need this and the twins are that. 'Chuck, the twins need changing... Sarah, the twins need feeding... The twins are getting so big!... The twins are just adorable!' The twins, the twins, the twins….She was here first! And yet, when she asked her parents to play with her today, they said no. _Why did they get to say no to her? Why did the twins get all of her parents' time and the attention? What about what she wanted?!_

"What's wrong?" Sarah asked again.

"Nothing's wrong Mommy." Sarah didn't have to be a former interrogator for the CIA to tell that her daughter was lying. Sarah slid her hands under the covers until she reached Skylar's feet. She tickled the bottom and Skylar wiggled under the covers, trying to get away from her mother's probing fingers. "Mom!" She squealed. "Stop it."

"Not until you open up and tell me what's going on in that head of yours."

Skylar laughed. 'OK. OK. I surrender. I'll tell you." Sarah finally stopped tickling her and watched as Skylar collected her thoughts.

"It's just that I feel like you and-" She stopped short, wondering how her mother would react to what she said. Maybe she shouldn't say anything at all. Her parents would probably think she was a horrible child for resenting her brothers' presence. "Nothin." she finally mumbled.

Skylar narrowed her eyes. "Skylar, I'm your mom. I've known you your whole life and I know when something is wrong with you. Talk to me baby."

Skylar turned on her back and looked up at her mother. Sarah smoothed down Skylar's hair, waiting for her to speak. She was about to, when she heard one of the twins crying, and then the other started, she wasn't sure who it was that started the crying fest, and she really didn't care. Her mother looked at her apologetically and promised she'd be back. Skylar rolled her eyes and groaned.

**/\**

"Chuck, something's bothering Skylar." Sarah told her husband. She bounced Landon on her knee and the two month old blue eyed baby gurgled at her happily. Sarah smiled down at him, but her expression turned serious as she thought about her daughter. "She won't tell me what it is though."

Chuck walked over to her with Levi in his arms. "Where is she? Maybe I can get her to open up."

"She's in her room. In bed actually."

Chuck raised his eyebrows at that. Skylar Bartowski was never one to go to bed at her own will; in fact, she was always begging for her bedtime to be later. "It's not even five-thirty yet." Chuck said looking at his watch.

"I know. I'm worried about her. I don't like feeling like she's shutting me out." Sarah sighed.

Chuck sat down next to her and placed one arm over her shoulder. "We can go talk to her together."

Meanwhile, after fifteen minutes of impatiently waiting, Skylar threw the covers off of herself and wandered down to the nursery. There, she found her parents still holding the twins as they drifted off to sleep. She huffed and turned on her heel angrily._ Same old, same old._ She had been excited about the babies finally being born at first, especially since she thought it would mean her mother would get out of bed and play with her more. She thought they would play football in the backyard again and go for walks further than the ice cream truck and go to the beach...all the stuff they had done before. But that wasn't the case. The twins hoarded most of her mother's time now and neither of her parents played with her when she wanted them to. It was so unfair.

**/\**

Sarah and Chuck laid the twins down in their cribs, hoping that they'd nap for at least an hour. Chuck then turned on the baby monitor before leaving the nursery. Hand in hand, they made their way down the hallway to Skylar's room. The door was already open, but her bed was empty. Sarah checked the closet, since Skylar liked to go in there sometimes and Chuck checked the bathroom. Since she wasn't on that floor, they went downstairs. They found her in the living room, watching a cartoon. Chuck and Sarah sat on either sides of her, boxing her in. She seemed unbothered by their presence and Chuck frowned. Sarah gave him a look, saying 'see what I mean?'

"Hey kiddo." Chuck greeted her.

"Hi Daddy." She replied not even bothering to take her attention from the TV. Sarah cleared her throat and Skylar spared her a quick glance before turning back to the TV. "Hi Mommy."

"What're you up to?"

"Watching TV."

Chuck glanced at Sarah worriedly. "Are you hungry?'

"I guess?" She shrugged.

"What do you want for dinner?"

"Doesn't matter."

"So is pizza OK?" She nodded. "Even if we order olives?" She nodded again. Sarah frowned. Skylar clearly wasn't listening to them. Like her mother, Skylar did not like olives. Chuck inclined his head towards the kitchen. Sarah nodded and spoke to Skylar again. "We're gonna go order that pizza." The little girl nodded and Sarah kissed her on her forehead before leaving the room.

"See?" Sarah said worriedly as she peeked at Skylar. "I told you something's wrong."

"I know. She's never so reserved." Chuck agreed.

The pizza arrived twenty minutes after Chuck had placed the order. They ate in what was for the couple an uncomfortable silence as they kept glancing at their subdued daughter. After dinner, Chuck cleaned up and checked on the twins while Sarah tended to Skylar's bath. During said bath, she had tried to pry information from the little girl, but Skylar had kept most of her attention on her toys.

"Gah! It's frustrating Chuck. She's five years old; she shouldn't be emotionally pulling away from us." Sarah said sadly. She knew what it felt like to be so emotionally closed off. She was after all the 'Ice Queen' to some of her former CIA colleagues. It wasn't a good path to tread as it made one rather lonely and it certainly wasn't one for a five year old to go down.

"Come on, let's go to her." Chuck said extending his hand to Sarah.

When they entered Skylar's room, she was sitting on the floor playing with her doll house.

_Here it goes_. "Skylar," Chuck began, "Your Mom and I want to talk to you."

She looked up at them confused. They sat on her bed and Sarah patted the space between them, inviting her to sit. Sighing, she left her dolls on the floor and accepted Sarah's invitation to sit. "Your Mommy and I are worried about you. You're not acting yourself. Did someone hurt you or make you upset?" She was silent.

"Did something happen today?" Sarah prodded.

"Well, if you must know, I got married." Skylar told her parents nonchalantly.

Sarah and Chuck looked at each other wide eyed. "Wha- what do you mean you got married?"

"I got married as in I have a husband now." She replied with an air of annoyance. "At least he'll have to pay attention to me." She mumbled under her breath.

"Skylar sweetie, when did you get married?"

"This evening."

"And why did you feel the need to get married?" Chuck questioned.

She huffed and looked at both her parents wearily. "It was either that or running away."

Sarah sent a panicked looked towards Chuck. "Baby, why would you want to run away?"

The little girl paused. "Because you and Daddy don't love me any more." She softly whispered, the tears pooling in her hazel eyes.

Sarah felt her heart breaking into pieces.

"Skylar, that's not true." Chuck said, moving to hug her.

Skylar shirked away from her father's touch and hopped off the bed. "Yes it is!" She screamed. "I know you don't love me. You only love the twins now."

"Skylar," Sarah said emotionally.

"You give them all your attention now and you don't care about me.' She wailed.

"We do love you." Sarah said.

"You're lying!" Skylar screeched. "Stop lying to me!" Her voice was escalating and Chuck feared the loudness would awake the twins. Chuck told her to take her voice down a notch unless she'd wake her brothers. "I wish they were never born!" came the petulant reply.

And then there it was. The cries from the nursery came. "Skylar." Chuck said sharply. She clamped her hands over her mouth quickly and looked down at the floor. After a few moments of silence in the room, the cries quieted and Chuck breathed a sigh in relief as he surmised the babies had drifted off to sleep again.

Sarah had tears in her eyes. She didn't know that her daughter had been feeling that way. When Sarah was pregnant with the twins, Skylar had been excited about having two younger siblings and had gone out of her way to make sure Sarah was comfortable. Whether it was by picking things up from the floor so Sarah wouldn't have to bend down, or buckling the straps of her sandals, or constantly giving Sarah water (to the point where she felt like a camel), Skylar had always been there and talked constantly to her stomach. Skylar could feel their eyes on her and she shifted on her feet uncomfortably. "Skylar, come here baby." Sarah called to her. She walked over slowly and stopped in front of her mother. Sarah pulled her onto her lap and Chuck let her drape her legs over his.

"Sweetie, your Mom and I love you very, very much. Deep down I think you know that."

She nodded after a moment. "More than the beach has sand right?"

"Exactly. If our love for you was an ocean, there would be no more land." Skylar smiled then, a genuine smile. "And we will always love you."

Sarah took her left hand and Chuck her right and placed them on each of their hearts. "Do you feel those? Those are our heartbeats. You will always be in our hearts."

She frowned. "But how can I be in your hearts if I'm right here? And I'm only one person so I can't be in two hearts at the same time."

Chuck laughed softly. "What your Mommy means is that we will love you forever and ever and ever."

"Oh." She was pensive for a moment. "But what about the twins?"

"We will love them forever too. **BUT** that doesn't mean we will stop loving you or love you any less." Chuck told her.

"OK Daddy."

"Why did you think we didn't love you any more?"

"This evening, before my friends came over, I wanted you to play with me, but both of you were dealing with the twins and told me to give you a minute. The twins had all of your attention." She frowned.

"There will be times when your father and I will have to pay more attention to the twins, but that doesn't mean we don't care."

"The twins are still young, so they can't really do anything for themselves and since they can't talk yet, that means we need to spend a bit more time figuring out what they need." Chuck explained.

"I understand."

"Now what's this about you running away?"

"I wasn't going to Mommy." Skylar confided. "I really wasn't."

Sarah was still worried. "I don't want you to even think about running away. Whenever you're feeling like we don't pay attention to you or feeling upset, I want you to come and tell us. Running away wouldn't solve anything, and there's a whole lot of bad stuff that can happen to children when they run away." There were way too dangers in the world and she would protect her children from them for as long as possible.

"That's what David said. He made me promise not to run away."

Chuck smiled. "Well that is a very good thing. David is very smart."

"I know that Daddy, that's why I married him." She retorted.

Chuck and Sarah shared a laugh. Sarah drew her close to her. And, folding her in her arms, she swayed slightly from side to side with love, her face half lifted, her eyes half closed, her voice drenched with love. "Mommy loves you, so so much." she murmured deep in her throat, almost as if she were in a trance, and swaying also as if she were swooned in an ecstasy of love.

"I love you too Mommy." Skylar returned the affection. "You too Daddy." She added, so that her father wouldn't feel left out.

"I love you too baby girl. Do you want some ice cream?" Chuck offered.

"Rocky Road?"

"As if we'd offer you anything else." Sarah retorted.

"Yea!" She said jubilantly and hugged her father.

Chuck released her from the hug and they all went down to the kitchen. Skylar was indulging herself with all the ice cream toppings in their cupboards. She had already put on a serving of sprinkles and gummy bears and was reaching for the chocolate syrup when Sarah cleared her throat. Turning to her mother, she saw her shake her head no, and she slowly retreated her hand from the bottle, a pout on her face. Sarah knew she had to draw the line. Skylar on a sugar rush was not something she looked forward to dealing with. Skylar finished eating her ice cream first and was now coaxing her father into giving her some of his. The baby monitor on the counter crackled to life and they heard the twins crying. Sarah got up to put her bowl into the sink and instinctively, so did Chuck. However, Sarah gave him a silent comm to stand down and invited Skylar to come with her to tend to the twins. In the nursery, the twins were wriggling in their cribs, wanting to be picked up. They needed changing and Sarah asked Skylar if she wanted to help. She acquiesced and when the twins were all changed and clean, Sarah let her hold them in one of the rocking chairs.

"Sit back." Sarah instructed and Skylar sat with her back against the chair.

Sarah showed her how to position her arms and then placed the babies in her arms. It was much easier for the little girl to hold the babies, since they had recently begun to hold their heads up on their own. Skylar began to talk to the twins about all the things she was going to teach them- how to ride a bike, how to count, their ABCs, and a whole lot of other stuff. Landon and Levi responded by smiling and gurgling. She smiled back as her heart melted. Sarah couldn't stop the tears that formed in her eyes at the beautiful sight and neither could Skylar.

"I didn't mean what I said." Skylar admitted to her mother.

"What are you talking about?"

"This evening, when I said I wish they'd never been born. I didn't mean it." Sarah kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry."

"I know baby. But it's OK now."

Meanwhile, Chuck was outside the door, listening and his heart swelled. "You can come in Chuck." Sarah yelled.

Busted! Chuck thought. He entered the room quickly and smiled sheepishly. "How did you know I was there?"

"My Chuck detection senses were tingling." Sarah smiled back. Skylar then apologized to Chuck as well and he hugged her, telling her that she would always be his princess.

* * *

><p><span><strong>~0\~**

"Levi, don't you think your sister is the prettiest girl in the whole world?" Chuck said in his best baby voice.

"Daddy, that's not Levi. That is Landon." She said pointing to the baby on the right.

"I knew that." Chuck joked. "I was just checking to make sure you knew the difference. How do you tell them apart?"

"Landon's nose is a bit broader than Levi's. Levi's nose is pointier." She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Duh."

Chuck looked down at the two boys who were lying on a play mat and smiled. "You're actually right." Chuck said after comparing their noses for a moment. With Landon and Levi being identical twins, it was often difficult to tell them apart. It also didn't help that most of their clothes were the same. Chuck had relied on their hair to differentiate as Landon's brown hair was curlier than his brother's. He had also noticed that their personalities were a bit different, with Levi showing a hint of stubbornness when it came to keeping still when it was time to be changed or when it was nap time, while Landon appeared to be more peaceful. Of course they were still in the early stages of development, so that could be subject to change. "You're very observant."

"What does observant mean?"

"It means that you're good at noticing things which other people won't." Sarah jumped in. She was busy folding the their clothes and putting them into their appropriate drawers.

"I never even realized that about their noses." Chuck admitted. "Did you Sarah?"

"I did actually, about a week ago."

"So how did you tell them apart before?" Chuck questioned. "Or do you just know because of mother's intuition?"

Sarah smiled at him. "Well, for one thing, Levi's birthmark is on his left pinkie and Landon's is on his right index finger. And then there's the colour of their eyes. Sometimes Landon's eyes have tiny specs of green around the edges, but Levi's has specs of brown."

"It's soon time for their feeding. Are you gonna do it or should I go make their bottles?"

"I nursed them an hour ago, so they can have the bottle now and then I'll nurse again in the early morning." Sometimes, she felt like the twins' stomachs were a bottomless pit. She was still exclusively breastfeeding. Most days, she didn't mind when they needed to be feed simultaneously as she could easily hold them in both arms but sometimes the pain got to be too much and her breasts became sore. She didn't want to wean them just yet nor did she want to introduce them to formula until they were at least three months, so she'd usually pump and store the milk when the pressure in her breasts begged to be relieved.

Nodding, Chuck left the room to go warm the milk with Skylar tagging along.

The twins were quite chubby for their age. Like most babies, their arms and legs had little rings of fat around them. Sarah kneeled in front of them on the mat as she prepared to stretch them. She started with Landon first. Taking his chubby legs gently into her hands, Sarah pulled them for a few moments. She then did the same with his hands, stretching them above his head. Landon cooed happily when Sarah's hair fell into his face and tickled his nose. Levi meanwhile grabbed a lock of her hair in his fist and pulled. Sarah stopped stretching Landon and tried to pry her hair from his grasp. For a two month old, his grip was already strong.

"Levi, let go of Momma's hair." He blew spit bubbles at her in defiance and gurgled. With a little more effort, Sarah finally set herself free. "It's your turn now."

Sarah thought it best not to leave her hair down again and braided it quickly. She was still stretching his legs when Skylar strolled in, a box juice in one hand.

"Mommy, what are you doing?"

"Stretching Levi so that his circulation improves."

"What's circulation?"

"Blood flow."

"But won't that hurt?"

"Not if you're very gentle."

"Oh, Daddy said to tell you he's warming milk for them."

"Ok, thank you."

After finishing her juice, Skylar busied herself with playing Peek-A-Boo with the twins. Sarah had put them in their bouncy chairs, so it was easier for her to play with both of them at the same time. The little babies cooed at her and flailed their chubby limbs wildly in glee. Levi pulled at her hair and attempted to put it in his mouth. Landon looked on at the scene, gurgling uncontrollably, apparently he found it to be quite funny.

"Levi," Skylar scolded as she pulled her hair from his fingers. "It's not nice to pull someone's hair, and you certainly can't eat it. I'm sure it doesn't taste good anyway."

"I think they're getting hungrier." Sarah told her from her position on the couch backing the window. "I'll go see what's keeping your father. Will you be ok watching them for a few minutes?"

Sklar nodded. As long as both of them didn't try to eat her hair, she'd be fine.

Sarah met Chuck at the foot of the stairs, with both bottles in his hand and the phone to his ear. "Yea Morgan, I'm sure that mess can be sorted out at the office on Monday...yea, I'm sure. Thanks for telling me anyway...We still on for the gaming session tomorrow?... Ok, bye, say hi to Alex and Cassidy for me. Will do. Bye." Sarah took the warm bottles from him and he pocketed the phone. "Morgan says hi."

"I'm standing right here, you could've let me say hi back."

"Right." Chuck said sheepishly. "Wasn't thinking about that."

"Is there a problem with work?"

"Yea, some issue with one of the beta readers and a server. I'm sure we can get it sorted easily Monday." Chuck said as they climbed the stairs.

They stopped short, just outside the bedroom. They could hear Skylar talking to the twins who had begun to get fussy at their prolonged arrival of their milk.

"I'm sure Mommy will bring your milk soon." She soothed. "If you were old enough, I would've given you some of my juice, but I already drank it all and Daddy says you can't drink anything else other than Mommy's milk sooo" she drawled. The twins began to wail. "Aw, don't cry. I'm here." Chuck and Sarah entered the room then. "Mommy, the twins are really hungry."

Chuck bent down and unbuckled both of them from the confines of the bouncy chairs. He handed Levi to Sarah and picked up Landon. The couple sat down on the couch with the babies and Skylar brought the bottles over to them without them even having to ask.

Skylar then climbed up on the couch and cushioned herself between her parents.

"Mommy, where does breast milk come from?" Skylar blurted. Chuck coughed and Sarah blushed.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the milk I drink comes from cows, but the twins get breast milk, so I wanna know how it gets in there." She explained and pointed to Sarah's breasts.

Sarah paused, wondering how to explain lactation to a five year old.

"Do you want to feed Landon?" Chuck asked as a deflection.

The little girl turned to her father; the questions about breast milk forgotten. "Really?"

"Yea." Chuck took the bottle from Landon's mouth and he protested, flailing his arms and babbling. "Easy there kiddo, you'll have your bottle back in a minute." Carefully, he transferred Landon into his sister's open arms. After positioning his head and Skylar's arm around the baby, Chuck gave her the bottle in her right hand. Skylar brought it to his mouth and he latched on again happily.

With their bottles emptied, it was time for the twins to burp. Sarah threw the burping cloth over her shoulder and Chuck did the same for Skylar. "Ok, so Skylar, you have to pat his back gently." Sarah demonstrated.

Levi burped first and Skylar continued to rub Landon's back, wondering why he was taking so long. When he finally did burp, he also vomited a bit.

"Ew, he vomited on me." Skylar said, horrified. She removed Landon from resting on her shoulder and held him at an arm's length, her face conveying her displeasure. Chuck took Landon from her arms and rested him over his shoulder.

"Technically, he vomited on the burping cloth." Chuck took said cloth from her shoulder and folded it, using the cleaner side to wipe the edges of Landon's mouth. Skylar glared at him and Chuck laughed. He had experienced much worse. "Come on Sky, don't be angry. He didn't do it on purpose. And besides, it didn't even get onto your clothes."

Skylar smiled then. She would've been very upset if his vomit had gotten on her favourite Tangled pyjamas. Maybe there was a silver lining to this after all. Skylar decided that she wanted to watch a movie before bedtime, and her parents obliged. The five relocated to Chuck and Sarah's room and soon settled into Chuck and Sarah's bed, watching Tangled for the nth time. Soon after, Landon dosed off to sleep and Levi, who seemed to be a night owl, followed half hour later. The parents had their fingers crossed that they would start sleeping through the night soon. With the twins down for the night, it was Skylar's turn to go to bed.

"Which bedtime story do you want to hear tonight?"

"Hmm," she pushed out her bottom lip as she went through her options mentally. "Brave." She finally said.

"And do you want Mommy or myself to read?"

"How about both?"

"That works just fine." Sarah smiled and walked over to the book shelf. For a five year old, Skylar Bartowski already had an impressive library. Sarah had begun teaching her five foreign languages, Spanish, French, Russian, Polish and Swiss and she had beginner books for those languages. Casey had growled when she counted in Russian one time and made a comment about Walker teaching her the language of commie bastards, Sarah had laughed it off, and told Casey he should consider getting over his dislike for the Russians. He had grunted at her and sent a smirk her way when Skylar questioned what a commie was. He was only too glad to explain. For the latter two languages, Carina and Zondra were happy that Sarah was teaching her them and when they called or visited, would greet her in either. Sarah quickly scanned the fairy tales and selected her choice. She then sat on the bed. "Once upon a time, in a kingdom..." Halfway through the story, Chuck noticed Skylar's eyes start to droop. He stopped reading and closed the book. Sarah pulled the covers more snugger her daughter and she clung to their warmth.

"Good night my princess."

"Good night Mommy." She sleepily murmured. "Night Daddy."

"Nightie night Skylar. We love you."

"Lub you too." She yawned. Both parents placed a kiss on her forehead and she fell soundly asleep afterwards. After returning the book to its shelf and turning on the night light, Chuck and Sarah watched their daughter sleeping peacefully. Sarah sighed contentedly as Chuck wrapped his arms around her and kissed her temple.

* * *

><p><span><strong>~0\~**

"Do you realize this is the first time we've had to ourselves in a while?"

Sarah nodded. Lately it seemed like she barely spent quality time with Chuck; not that she was complaining about her children, because she did love them dearly, but it was nice to spend some alone time with Chuck. "Mhmm." She purred. They were sitting on the couch and Chuck was gently massaging her feet.

After Chuck had finished the massage, he got up from the couch and walked over to the record player. He slipped a Nina Simone record into the player and walked over to Sarah as the music started to swirl through the room. Sarah smiled when she heard their song playing. "Dance with me."

She happily obliged and soon she and Chuck were swaying in their living room to the cool jazz music. Sarah revelled in the feeling of being so close to him. She breathed in his scent, and smiled against his chest. When their song finished, Chuck took a step back so he could look directly into her eyes. "I love you Sarah."

"I love you too Chuck." She replied and closed the space he had placed between them. Sarah's gaze darted from his eyes and to his lips and she unconsciously licked hers. Chuck leaned into her slowly and finally met her lips in a slow, tantalizing kiss. He cupped her face in his hand and Sarah ran her fingers through his hair hungrily. Sarah backed them up until they reached the couch. His kisses always left her dizzy, and breathless and overwhelmed. Breaking the kiss momentarily, Sarah laid down on the couch and pulled Chuck on top of her.

Chucks shirt was already off and he was making quick work of Sarah's buttons when the doorbell rang. He groaned against her lips. "Ignore it." She mumbled. The noise from the doorbell rang through the house again. "Wait, maybe it's important." Chuck paid her no mind and continued to trail kisses down her neck. "Chuck." She moaned. He looked up at her with smouldering eyes and Sarah almost changed her mind about him answering the door. "The door."

"They'll go away. We can pretend no one is home."

"But the lights are on." Sarah pointed out the flaw in his logic.

"Fine, but this isn't over." He picked up his shirt from off the floor and slipped it on while Sarah redid the buttons on her blouse. "If it's Morgan or Casey, I'm gonna tranq them with my gun, they have been a cock blocker for way too long."

"Chuck, just go answer the door." Sarah laughed, going to stop the record player.

It wasn't Casey or Morgan at the door, but rather David's mother, Tracy.

"Hey Tracy. Nice seeing you." Chuck greeted her and invited her in. "What brings you by?"

"Hi Chuck, it's nice to see you too. I actually came over to talk to you and Sarah."

"She's in the living room so follow me."

After Sarah and Tracey greeted each other, they sat down.

"First, let me apologize for the lateness of my visit, but Bradford had a function and we only just got back maybe forty-five minutes ago."

"It's fine." Chuck assured her.

"I wanted to speak to you about Skylar."

"What about Skylar?" Sarah said quickly.

Tracy shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Well, I hope you don't think I'm prying in your business, because I'm not. David was kind of distracted while I was tucking him into bed, and after a couple of minutes of me pestering him, he told me Skylar mentioned something about running away. He was really sorry that he told me and made me promise not to tell you guys, since he thinks word would get back to Skylar and she'd think he was a tattle tale and wouldn't want to be his friend anymore." Tracy explained. "But I told him I'd do what I thought was best for Skylar and I thought the only way for me to really do that is for me to tell you what happened. But like I said, I don't mean to pry."

"Um, yea, about that. She told us too. She was feeling a bit neglected today but we talked to her and she's fine now. She also told us that David made her promise that she wouldn't run away." Chuck said.

Tracy smiled then. "I'm glad you sorted things out."

"Did he also tell you they got married?"

"They got what?" Tracy asked with wide eyes.

Sarah laughed. "I think it was Skylar's idea. We will explain to Skylar that they aren't really married tomorrow."

"I'll talk to David about it in the morning as well. I have to get going now though, I have a thirty-two hour shift at the hospital tomorrow and I need all the rest I can get."

"Thanks for coming by." Chuck spoke for him and Sarah as they walked her to the door.

"It was no problem. Good night."

"Good night." Chuck closed the door. "That was nice of her." Chuck commented to Sarah. "Sarah?"

"Hmm?" She murmured, coming out of her fog. "Yea, it was very nice that she was so concerned." Sarah said absent mindedly.

"Ok, what's going on? What're you thinking?" Chuck led her back into the living room and they sat on the couch.

"Skylar is OK right? We did get through to her tonight? She knows we love her, doesn't she?" She was still concerned about Skylar. She and Chuck always did their best to divide their time and spend as much time as possible with each child. And she had thought that they had done a good job so far, but, with Skylar's outburst, a seed of doubt had been planted.

Chuck nodded and placed his hands over hers comfortingly. "Yes, yes and yes. Remember that quote we taught her: 'If my love were an ocean, there would be no more land. If my love were a desert, you would see only sand. If my love were a star- late at night, only light. And if my love could grow wings, I'd be soaring in flight'?" Sarah nodded. "She knows that we love her. And anytime that she's feeling down, I trust that she knows she can come to us."

She was also still disturbed by the thought of Skylar running away. "So if I wanted to implant a tracker under her skin as a precaution, what would you say?" Chuck looked at her incredulously. "What? Just a tiny, tiny, tiny little one." She continued, pinching her thumb and index finger together. "She wouldn't even know it's there. And think about how much easier it'll make things when she becomes a teenager. I'm telling you, it's a win-win situation for us."

Chuck narrowed his eyes at her. She punched him in the shoulder playfully, "Sheesh, I was joking." She placated him. "Mostly." She muttered under her breath.

**/\**

Chuck and Sarah were enjoying the quiet of the morning. The twins and Skylar would soon awake, and since she was starting back work in another couple of weeks, she knew such mornings wouldn't be that common any longer. Sarah idly sipped her morning tea and played with her wedding ring. Chuck plopped down in the chair next to her with a bowl of Fruit Loops.

"Honestly Chuck, don't you know those things are bad for you."

He made a spectacle of eating a spoonful of the cereal. "Nope." He smirked.

"You're such a doofus."

Chuck shrugged. "But you love me anyway."

Sarah smiled at him. "Yea, I do." She leaned in close and kissed Chuck softly. When his tongue slipped over hers, she tasted the traces of the sugary cereal and smiled. Pulling away, Chuck smiled at her and continued eating.

"Mommyyyyyy" Skylar's voice bellowed through the house and her heavy footsteps came down the stairs. She ran into the kitchen and greeted them with hugs and kisses.

"Morning Sky."

"Morning Daddy, morning Mommy."

"Before we go any further, what did your father and I say about running on the stairs?"

"Not to cause I could hurt myself."

"Exactly."

"I promise I didn't mean to, but I have something really, really, realllllyyyyy inkportant-

"Important." Chuck corrected.

"Important to ask you."

"How can I get a divorce?"

Chuck and Sarah looked at each other with open mouths, wondering how they were going to handle this one.

"Oh boy."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Feel free to review, even if it's as a guest. I might be able to get something out before my Easter vacation ends; it depends on how I progress in my revision. **

**xoxox**

**~Bg. 09/04/2015**


	15. Wish(on a shooting star or a satellite)

**A/N: Soooooo, quite a bit has happened since I last updated this collection: exams are done and dusted, I turned 18 and graduated... Just waiting on my Associate Degree to be issued once exam results come back. Now it's summer and the Crop Over Season. Apologies for taking so long to update. This one is shorter than my usual stories, but I should be publishing more soon. Thanks also to _charahkids_ for looking over this a while back. I dabbled with it a bit after he edited, so any mistakes you see are mine.**

**Chapter 15: Wish (on a shooting star...or a satellite)**

**Words: 3,349**

* * *

><p>Charles Bartowski was a contented man. In fact, in moments like these, he felt like he was on top of the world. This feeling of utter contentment and euphoria was one he wanted to last forever. Despite the peaceful stillness surrounding him, Chuck was becoming restless. But with Sarah using his chest as a pillow, he was wary of moving and disturbing her sleep.<p>

They were finally able to resume their favourite sleeping position of him lying on his back and Sarah resting her head on his chest- a position which had been uncomfortable for Sarah as her pregnancy progressed. As it was the first night they'd been home since their baby's birth, he wanted her to have as much sleep as possible. Sarah had fallen asleep shortly after her mother and Molly had left nearly three hours ago. He had barely slept though, only letting his eyes rest for a few minutes. His brain was still active and there was so much to think about.

All of his thoughts centred on his little boy: Levi Stephen Bartowski. He was asleep in the crib to the left of their bed. The tiny baby had created such a huge change in their lives, but it was one they gladly welcomed. When they found out that Sarah was pregnant, he had been consumed with elation and when he first held his son, his heart swelled with love.

Carefully lifting himself up, still mindful of Sarah, Chuck craned his neck to look at Levi better. It was immaterial that he and Sarah had already spent hours just looking at him in the past three days, in slight disbelief, joy and awe that he was there. He would never tire of studying Levi's features - his round face, plump cheeks, high cheek bones; or with holding his tiny hands and feet nor would he tire of gently running his fingers through his son's blonde wisps of hair. He was beautiful. Perfect.

Levi had captured his heart. There was no doubt that he loved Sarah. Their love was intense and the love he felt for his son was just as profound. When he had cut the umbilical cord and the baby boy was handed to him, Chuck was consumed with an intensity of emotions that was indescribable. Sarah had suggested that Levi's middle name be Stephen when she held him, and it was only when she had reached up to his face to wipe his cheek that he realized there were tears running down his face. In that moment, they had clutched each other's hands, adrift in a turbulence of emotions. Love. Contentment. They had a son who was a product of their love. A son...the word still thrilled him. He was a father. He had a son. Sarah was a mother. They were a family. He said it over and over to himself in his head, a mantra that was beginning to conquer the fear he had that somehow this was a figment of his imagination and that when he opened his eyes he'd wake up in his Burbank apartment that he shared with Ellie and Awesome, stuck in his funk.

"He's beautiful Chuck." Sarah had said as Levi gripped her thumb. She had tears in her eyes as she smiled down at the baby. "Thank you so much for giving me this."

Chuck's eyesight shifted to the picture frame which held the drawing he had done on the bullet train. It hadn't been an easy road- dealing with Sarah's memory loss- but now, three years after that evening on the beach, they were happy. His heart clenched with melancholy as he remembered seeing Quinn escape with Sarah. Getting her to trust him and to stay with him had been a challenge, and there had been moments when he wallowed in self-pity and anger. Then there had been moments when his soul vacillated, first on the side of despair and then on hope. But, they had stuck together and as Sarah rediscovered herself and fell in love with him, so did he fall in love with her again. Sarah's memory loss had been like a test on their love. It was as Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia had said: "Our love for each other might have been sincere on sunny days, but it was never as strong as on days of suffering and sorrow, when all the previously hidden richness of the soul is revealed." He snickered to himself when he thought of what Casey would say if he knew he was quoting a former Russian monarch.

He shook himself from the thought- wanting to focus on the present. He and Sarah had made new memories as she discovered old ones, and the time spanning their discussion about finally having a baby up to this very moment consisted of some of his favourite memories. Chuck's gaze returned to Sarah and he lazily ran his forefinger along the length of her arm.

He sighed when he caught sight of the faint scar on her left shoulder. It wasn't easy to spot with the naked eye, but when one had spent countless hours committing the body of the ethereal creature that was Sarah Walker, it was not that difficult. He knew every inch of her body, every scar and the story behind them. Even in the warm June night, he could still feel the memory of burning cold fear from that evening seven months ago. The mission that had almost claimed Sarah's life and their then unknown baby's life had seared itself into his memory. The gunman had been aiming at her head, but Sarah had ducked moments before the bullet left the chamber and it grazed her shoulder. Chuck lightly traced his finger over the scar and silently thanked whatever higher being there was, that the reminder of that night wasn't something more morose- like death. A grin twitched on his lips when a light snore escaped Sarah's lips. She always argued that she did not snore, and on one occasion Chuck had recorded her, but she refuted the idea that it was her on the recording.

Unable to stay in bed any longer, since his mind was far from tired, Chuck eased himself out from under Sarah. She mumbled something about Chuck hogging the sheets, rolled over fully on her stomach and clutching his pillow close, she buried her face in it, inhaling his scent. Chuck waited until he was sure that she was asleep before completely moving out of bed. With an ease quite different from when he had stepped (or maybe stumbled was more appropriate) into Sarah's world, Chuck navigated the minimally lit room with a masters in silent grace. Since becoming a spy, he had gotten better at stealth. But as luck would have it, his characteristic clumsiness was so heavily ingrained that on occasion that stealth went haywire. When Sarah had been pregnant and sleepy, he had gotten better at moving silently around their home so she wouldn't be disturbed. He didn't always have success, as Sarah sometimes awoke because of his missing warmth or on the occasion that he stumped his toe and yelped in pain or bumped into furniture. Nevertheless, it was a skill he prided himself in and now he was able to sneak up on Morgan much easier than before.

Smiling, Chuck made his way over to Levi's crib. Thanks to the nightlight, he was able to see his soft features. Levi lay on his back, his arms up and at the side of his head. From the chest down, his body was covered by a blue blanket with a criss cross pattern which Emma had made for him. Mary had been under Emma's tutelage as well, but when her baby booties hadn't come out as they were supposed to after five attempts, she had huffed and declared that she would stick to what she knew best. And that was how she had decided to create a children's illustrated book which included tips on how to handle live explosives, fighting techniques and bomb disarmament. Chuck laughed lightly at the thought as Casey had volunteered to help her.

At the side of the crib lay a stuffed toy dog that Sarah had made for him. Well, Sarah insisted that it was a dog; to him it looked like a mixture between a rat and a dog. Sarah had gotten the idea from an online parenting blog which she had perused during her pregnancy. She was incredibly proud of how it had turned out and usually silencing anyone who insulted it with a glare. The grin spread across his face as he rearranged it with care, moving it to the top of the crib. His eyes were then drawn to his son. A warm smile curved his lips. It was impossible for him not to smile at the sight of him. He was healthy, safe and content. That was all he could ever want. With the tip of his thumb, Chuck stroked his son's cheek and watched him intently, a smile on his face as his chest rose and fell with each breath. While he slept, Chuck saw the edges of his lips curl up into a smile.

Meanwhile, Sarah rolled over on her back, her hands feeling the sheets for Chuck's body. She frowned when all she grasped was the blue sheet beneath her. Sitting up against the headboard, Sarah squinted slightly as she searched the room for her husband. When she saw him standing beside their son's crib, Sarah smiled widely. She didn't think it was possible to love Chuck more, but when she saw the love and wonder in his eyes after seeing their son for the first time, she fell in love with him a little more.

Becoming a mother had involved so many emotions she was not fully prepared for. Even though she had interacted with Levi for less than three days, being his mother had dismantled so many of her presuppositions, and left her exceedingly happy. For most of her adult life, she had found security in compartmentalizing her feelings. After her experience with the CATs, Ryker and Bryce's supposed betrayal, she had been even more careful that no errant emotions could break through her mask. She had sealed them up behind protective layers, but meeting Chuck had changed her. Her and Chuck's relationship over the years had gradually peeled away those layers, breaking through the compartments. When she joined the CIA, the dreams she had had of a house with a red door and white picket fence, children playing football in the yard and school plays had all been shoved away. They had been blocked, and she had never allowed herself the time to think about what ifs. But now, she wasn't afraid to dream. Because her dreams were already coming true.

Chuck looked down at his son as he slept peacefully, oblivious to the rest of the world. He would preserve her carefree existence for as long as he could. Arms sliding around his waist interrupted his thoughts.

"Hey," Sarah mumbled, resting her cheek on his back.

"Hey yourself," he greeted back, turning in Sarah's arms so that they were facing each other. "You're supposed to be sleeping." He quirked his brow at her.

Sarah smiled up at him. "I'm feeling refreshed already."

"You won't be saying that when Levi is up at all sorts of ungodly hours."

Sarah laughed lightly. "I won't mind." She was so elated that he was finally here- nearly a week after the due date- that him waking them up in the early morning hours was welcome.

Chuck kissed the crown of her head. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

Sarah cocked her head to the side slightly, a smile tugging at her lips. She then wrapped her arms around his neck and Chuck slipped his around her waist, drawing her close. "It's always nice to be reminded."

Bending his head slightly, Chuck bumped his nose with Sarah's. With a slight tug on Chuck's neck, Sarah crashed her lips into his. When the kiss ended, the two stayed in their embrace, their foreheads touching.

Levi yawned and a small cry escaped his lips which caused their attention to shift to him.

"Hey buddy," Chuck smiled down at the baby. He pursed his mouth and wrinkled his forehead. Enthralled, Chuck watched as he flexed his hands and wiggled, causing the blanket to shift around his body.

"Ooooh, Chuck," Sarah fawned over him, "look at his little legs."

Chuck nuzzled her neck. "I know, maybe he will be a football player."

Sarah chuckled. "With all that power in his legs, you might be right. I'm certain I'm bruised inside from his kicks."

With their voices in such close proximity, Levi stared up at them, his eyes showing a mix of curiosity and happiness. He yawned and wiggled in the crib some more, dislodging and toppling the stuffed dog. Smirking, Chuck adjusted it again, only for Levi to knock it over again.

"Not a word," Sarah grumbled.

He chuckled at her and out up his hands in front of him. "I wasn't gonna say anything."

Sarah glared. "You were about to." She jabbed a finger in his chest. She picked up the toy and hugged it to her chest. For a girl who never paid attention to swing class during Home Economics and was only recently taught the basics by her mother and the Internet, she was extremely proud of the fruits of her labour. "If I hear a peep out of you about the colour, or its eyes, then you will be sleeping in the guest room."

Chuck rested his chin and her shoulder. Sarah could feel the vibrations from his body as he tried to suppress a chuckle. "Now, we both know you wouldn't be able to sleep comfortably if I'm not there." He then kissed Sarah on her neck which caused a flood of colour to rise in her cheeks along with a smile that tugged at her lips.

"I guess I could make an exception this once," Sarah breathed out, her breath hitching as Chuck grazed his teeth along her ear lobe.

Stepping back slightly, Chuck smiled with satisfaction. "Besides, what could I possibly say about this magnificent dog you've made?" He smirked. "I'm sure Levi will just love the fact that it's almost as red as Clifford, and that its right eye is the size of a nickel while the left is the size of a bottle cap...and those ears, wow...how long and droopy they are but that's all the better to hear aliens from another planet with."

Sarah slapped him on the arm and scowled at him. That caused Chuck to laugh. Ignoring his antics, Sarah leaned over the crib and picked up Levi who was growing restless. "Ignore Daddy baby. He's just being silly," Sarah cooed down at him. "Your Momma worked very hard on your toy, and I think I'm super good at it. Don't you agree?" Levi opened his mouth and there was a twinkle in his eye. "Ooooh, yea you do! You agree with Momma." Sarah then cradled him against her chest. "Maybe Momma will make more toys for you. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Sarah smiled down at him. "Yea, maybe I'll make you a cat and a rabbit next."

Chuck looked on as Sarah walked around the room, telling Levi about all the toys she would make for him. Seeing her, clothed in her plaid pyjama bottoms and a pink camisole as she cooed down at their son made him love her even more. In fact, he fell in love with her more every day. A tiny wail escaped his lips and Levi scrunched his face, and pawed at his mother's chest.

"Or maybe he agrees with Daddy," Chuck commented to Sarah.

Sarah sent him a scorching glare. "As if you could do better."

Chuck considered telling her that when his parents left them he and Ellie had realized the need to be cautious over how they spent their money. As such, when there was a rip in either of their clothes that was repairable, rather than throw them away, they learned how to stitch. He decided he'd let her have this small victory.

Sarah shifted her attention back to Levi when Chuck didn't offer a retort. Humming softly to him, she continued to walk around the room in hopes of soothing him. Chuck adjusted the pillows on the bed and got the feeding pillow from the chair in the far corner of the room. Levi wasn't pacified by the movement or the soothing tones of his mother so Sarah handed him to Chuck while she got comfortable in the bed. Moments later, the room was quiet, only being interrupted by the soft sounds of Levi as he sucked away contentedly.

Chuck looked down at the blonde haired baby and smiled contentedly. Sarah too was preoccupied with looking into his bright blue eyes. Chuck wrapped one arm around Sarah's shoulders and she shifted slightly, snuggling into his side as the baby nursed. When Levi's eye lids began to droop and his hand dropped from Sarah's chest, Sarah eased him from her chest and with one hand supporting his head, she used the other to tuck her breast into the nursing bra. Sarah turned to Chuck with a soft smile and their lips met in a gentle kiss. They held each other's gaze after their lips had parted.

"I think he's ready to go back to sleep," Sarah looked down at the baby who was yawning, tethering on the edge of sleep.

"I'll take him," Chuck offered, easing the baby out of her arms. Chuck placed a burping cloth on his shoulder and rested Levi's head in the crook of his neck. The fuzziness of his hair tickled his neck, but he delighted in the powdery scent of the baby and the warm softness of his skin. Getting out of bed, he walked across the room, while rubbing his hand up and down the baby's back. Chuck then began to hum the opening verse of Nina Simone's 'Feeling Good'. Levi hiccupped twice, sucked his lips a few times and then drifted off to sleep. He walked over to the crib and laid him down gently. Chuck then pulled the blanket over the baby and placed the stuffed dog back in the crib, an action which Sarah smiled at.

Sarah climbed out of bed and walked over to one of the windows, and pulled the curtain back so they could see Burbank clothed in its night raiment. Chuck came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Sarah smiled at how safe and loved she felt in his arms. Revelling in his touch and his presence, and warm against him, Sarah looked out with radiance in her eyes. They were silent for a moment as they just reflected on their lives and all that led up this moment.

"Look Chuck," Sarah pointed to the sky where a streak of light had caught her eye. They beamed as the shooting star left a trail of gold across the night sky. Sarah turned in his arms, her eyes as luminous as the shooting star they had seen moments ago. "What did you wish for?"

Chuck didn't answer immediately, watching as the final trace of light faded away. "You know if I tell you it won't come true." As he spoke to her, he remembered standing with Sarah as they drank beers, watching a satellite explode in the sky. He'd made a wish then.

_You see that star out there on the horizon? That's the Air Force bouncing Morimoto's satellite out of the atmosphere and burning it up. Make a wish, it's yours._

Back then he had wished for her to be happy. And he had hoped that happiness would be with him.

Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. "As far as I'm concerned, all my wishes have come true."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Feel free to review, even if it's as guest.**

**Until next time,**

**xoxoxoxoxo**

**~Barbadiangirl 24/07/2015**


	16. Fourth Time's the Charm

**A/N: Happy New Year. Semester 2 started on Monday and the 50+ pages cases and statutes are rolling in. :/**

**Apologies for the length of time it took me to update this collection. Uni is...well it's quite demanding. But it's also quite fun...meeting new people, learning about different CARICOM cultures etc. Thankfully, today is Errol Barrow Day [He's the Father of Independence of Barbados] and it's a bank holiday.**

**Thanks to _charahkids_ for looking this over. I hope you guys enjoy reading. **

**Chapter 16: Fourth Time's the Charm **

**Words: 4,405**

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><p>"CHUCK!" Sarah yelled from their bedroom.<p>

He was in the nursery putting together the baby's swing set and immediately rushed to his wife, discarding the instructions and tools in his hands. "I'm right here babe. What's wrong?"

Sarah sat on the bed, a hand rubbing her stomach. "I'm in labour."

With all the flutter of excitement of a first time father, Chuck rushed to the bed, and knelt before Sarah. "Are you sure?" They had had two false alarms last week and the doctor had said she was only experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions.

She held him with an icy glare. "Well I sure as hell didn't pee myself," she began to rant, pointing to her wet pants and a damp spot on the carpet a few yards away, "and this pressure on my back isn't like what I've had before, so yes, I'm sure!"

Chuck held up his hands. "Sorry," he smiled sheepishly. He then helped Sarah to remove her wet clothes and change into a different set of underwear and a floral patterned dress. Together, they made their way down the stairs. Chuck left Sarah at the door and dashed to the kitchen for her water bottle and grabbed the grey carry on that Sarah had clearly labelled 'Hospital' from the coat closet.

Sarah looked at Chuck seriously as he helped her into the back seat of his car. "Don't you dare start freaking out on me now Charles!"

He flashed her the closest he could manage to his Chuck Bartowski winning smile. "Of course not, dear." Despite her warning- her death threat- his hands began to feel clammy and he could feel the sweat accumulating on his forehead.

At the hospital, the nurses and an orderly whisked Sarah to her room, Chuck following behind. By the time most of their family members arrived, Sarah wasn't fully dilated and they took turns walking around with her.

"Do they really think I'm just going to walk this baby out of me?" Sarah complained to her mother as they ambled down the hall. "Why can't I be one of those women who just sneezes and before you even say 'God bless you' she's had the baby?"

Emma chuckled. "Think of what you'd miss out on- reminding your child about all the long and painful hours that you endured just to bring them into this world."

Sarah snorted. "I think I can get some mileage out of that." She looked down at her belly and smiled wearily. "I'm kinda scared," Sarah admitted to her mother.

"It's normal sweetie. Just remember you're healthy and you're strong. You and Chuck went through all the Lamaze and birthing courses…"

Sarah cut her off, "No, I don't mean about having the baby…. I'm talking about being a mom." Emma nodded and wrapped an arm around Sarah, letting her know that she was listening. "What if I stink at it? And the worst part is I won't even know until it's too late. She'll come home, she'll scream that she hates me, then in rebellion she'll get some part of her body pierced that's inappropriate, get an infection and wind up on antibiotics which we'll find out ten years later causes an eating disorder and I'll end up in therapy trying to save my whole family. I mean what if some people aren't cut out to be parents?!" The realization that in a few hours she and Chuck would be responsible for a new life hit her hard and left her panicked. She didn't want to ruin the poor child's life.

"Well, the fact that you already thought about all this tells me that you're gonna be just fine," Emma tried to reassure her daughter.

"I'm freaking out aren't I?"

"I have utmost confidence that you and Chuck will be good parents." It felt good to know that her mother was confident in her parental skills and Sarah beamed at her. They rounded a corner and continued to walk in silence until Sarah cringed when another contraction began. "I'm gonna kill Chuck," Sarah growled.

Inside Sarah's room, Chuck was freaking out. "What if she has twins Morgan? You've heard those stories about women who think they're having one and then bam! Multiple births!" His eyes were wide as he thought of the possibility. "You've seen Sarah right? She's HUGE!"

"Whoaaaa Chuck! It's a good thing Sarah isn't here to hear you say that."

Chuck shrugged. "She knows it," he replied absentmindedly. He'd never say that to her face though.

"Relax, you got the ultrasound. It's not twins," Morgan tried to settle Chuck's nerves. "You are going to be okay."

"No…no. I'm not. I'll probably be going through cardiac arrest while she's giving birth," Chuck said seriously.

**/\**

Sarah's screams died down as the wail of the baby took over. Chuck kissed her on her clammy forehead. "You did it babe."

"Congratulations on your baby boy," one of the nurses said.

Chuck looked at her, his mouth wide. "Boy?"

Sarah, blonde hair standing in every direction slumped against the pillows. When the nurse brought the baby to her, she gently cradled him to her chest.

"Apparently the ultrasound technician got it wrong. It happens sometimes" Sarah's OB/GYN spoke up.

Sarah and Chuck looked down at him in adoration. "I don't care." He was perfect.

**/\**

The extended Bartowski family huddled into Sarah's room.

"It's a good thing you guys went with the jungle theme for the nursery instead of the princess one," Devon said as he held the brown haired baby.

"See, it's always best to go gender-neutral," Mary chimed in.

"Have you decided on a name yet?"

"Luke," Chuck said.

"Jayden," Sarah said.

"I guess that's a no." Casey grunted.

Once everyone left, Chuck walked around the room, gazing down at his son. He had Sarah's blue eyes and he hoped they wouldn't change colour as he grew. "Don't worry buddy, we can always get you a baby sister later."

Sarah's eyes flew open wide and she stared at him. "Can we worry about this one first, Chuck? Jeez."

_**Liam Mason Bartowski. June 2nd 2014.**_

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><p>Mary, Emma and even Molly had been briefed. Chuck had slipped into the role of team leader effortlessly, creating charts and diagrams and delegating duties to everyone. Mary and Emma were to be the primary caregivers while Molly would offer assistance in whatever capacity she could and that basically was equated to playing with Liam. The grandparents found it amusing the way he spoke to them like they had never taken care of an infant, apparently not considering that they had cared for five children including himself, his sister, Sarah, Molly and Clara…or maybe it was six since Morgan was like a big child himself sometimes.<p>

Liam had turned two and spent a lot of his time happily garbling away to anyone, proudly showing off his expanding vocabulary to any and every one he came into contact with or playing with his toys. What amused Sarah though was that he often yammered on about a baby sister. Liam, like his father, was inclined to think this baby would be a girl. He was excited about being a big brother and even kissed her belly every day and was thrilled whenever he got to feel the baby kick.

The nursery had been touched up when Liam moved into his new room and everything was set for Bartowski baby number two. This time they had decided to wait until birth to find out the sex of the baby and Sarah was certain that most of their family was expecting a girl; no doubt spurred by Chuck's constant affirmation of his gut feeling that it was so.

**/\**

Eyes still heavy with sleep, Chuck groaned when he felt Sarah's fingernails dig into his arm. He caught a glimpse of the clock on the dresser and saw that it was after two.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

"It's time," she replied, inching her way out of the bed and turning on the lights.

Chuck rocketed out of the bed and helped Sarah out of her nightgown. Chuck's eyes drifted to her now unclothed round belly and smiled, kissing her on the forehead.

"I love you,"

"I love you too."

"I'll remember that when you're threatening to cut off my genitals with a butter knife a couple of hours from now," Chuck quipped as he pulled clothes for both of them from the closet. Once they were dressed, they exited the room. Chuck then knocked on two doors further down the hall, to awake Emma and Mary while Sarah slipped into Liam's room to give him a kiss. The two grandmothers decided between themselves that Emma would stay with Molly and Liam while Mary would go with them to the hospital. Mary quickly changed and joined Sarah and Chuck at the top of the stairs. With Chuck's help, Sarah ambled down the stairs. Emma reminded them to put on their sweaters as they had not too long come from the warmth of their beds and would be going into the colder night air. Mary seized the hospital bag from beside the red front door and Chuck tossed her the keys. Bidding Emma goodbye, they made their way to the car.

Ten hours and three minutes later, Chuck looked at the doctor when she declared that this baby was a boy. "Are you sure?"

He heard a few of the nurses chuckle behind the doctor. She smiled, "Yes Chuck, I'm sure it's a boy. Congratulations."

"Told you," Sarah bragged when she held her baby boy.

Chuck looked down at the blond haired baby and gently ran his finger through his hair. The baby yawned and Chuck, despite being a tad disappointed that it wasn't a girl found himself in a state of euphoria. "I think he's cuter than Liam was when he was born."

Sarah smiled down at the new-born, "Now, now Chuck, you can't go picking favourites."

"Well, to be fair he is chubbier than Liam. And it's like a law of nature that chubby babies are cuter," he grinned at his wife. "I think it's all that Rocky Road Ice-cream you had almost every night."

Sarah narrowed her eyes. "Are you trying to say I'm fat?" Her voice was deadly and Chuck was thankful when their son started to wail in her arms, ending that line of conversation.

**/\**

Mary had gone back to the Bartowski residence to stay with Liam and that freed Emma to bring Molly with her to the hospital.

Molly looked down at the baby in the crib. "I thought you said it was gonna be a girl Chuck?'

He scratched the back of his head, "Well I guess I got it wrong."

"Don't even look at me Chuck, you're the one who flipped the cosmic coin!"

Chuck shrugged. Maybe he could convince Sarah to have one more.

Considering that the baby's birthdate, Casey said it was only proper that he had a good, strong American name. Chuck and Sarah shot down his Ronald Reagan suggestion before he could even voice it properly.

_**Samuel Luke Bartowski. July 4th 2016.**_

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><p>Colonel John Casey found himself in the Bartowski living room surrounded by incessant chatter. Liam was over three and his talkativeness seemed to have tripled since the last time Casey saw him which was only two days ago. Samuel was eighteen months and seemed to have the same trait as his brother and father as he too was yammering away in his baby babble, making Casey feel a bit overwhelmed. The incessant chatter from the Bartowski boys made him cringe a bit. He was unwittingly filling this temporary job without completing his training. Casey tried to listen intently to Bartowski as he listed the basic instructions for the children's care but that was a bit difficult to do when Sarah was screaming up a storm in the background.<p>

"Yeah, yeah, I got it Bartowski." Casey grunted, "Now please, hurry up and take Walker to the hospital before she ends up delivering at home."

Chuck nodded and thanked Casey before telling the boys to be good.

"Oh, and Casey," Chuck turned back to him, "try not to go West Point on them!"

He grunted again. "It's never too early to learn the basics of being a good soldier. Samuel might be too young but I think I can get Liam to do some push ups."

'"Casey!" Chuck admonished him.

"Don't get your panties in a twist Bartowski, I am not serious."

"You better not be," Sarah said through gritted teeth. The promise of harm to him if he did behave like a crazy military instructor to her children was an undercurrent in her voice.

Casey and the two Bartowski boys walked with them down to the driveway.

"Bye Mommy and Daddy," Liam waved.

"Bye Momma and Daddy," Samuel parroted. He had tears forming in his eyes and Casey prayed that he wasn't in for a crying fest.

Chuck lifted them both up so that Sarah could kiss them on their cheeks. "Bye babies."

Chuck handed Samuel to Casey. "Good luck Walker," he offered as their mother loaded herself into the backseat of the minivan. Casey smirked. Walker in a minivan. Who would've thought?

"Uncle Casey! Let's go watch Peppa Pig!" Liam tugged on his pant leg once his parents' vehicle was out of sight.

"Peppa!" Samuel squealed in Casey's arms, conveying his happiness with his brother's suggestion.

"Alright. Fine," he conceded as they made their way back into the house. Peppa Pig! He didn't understand their fascination with the British cartoon...Whatever happened to the all American Sesame Street?

**/\**

When Sarah had her first ultrasound at ten weeks, Chuck had remarked that even after two previous pregnancies and a number of ultrasounds he couldn't tell the features of the baby. The technician had assured them that the baby looked healthy. However, when they went for the second ultrasound, they were in for a surprise. Sarah's doctor had been concerned that she was getting bigger than was normally expected and had bumped up her second ultrasound to eighteen weeks instead of twenty weeks. This time, instead of one amniotic sac, two were clearly visible on the screen as the technician moved the wand across Sarah's belly.

_"Another one? Twins?" Chuck questioned, his head feeling light. "How is that even possible?"_

_"Sometimes one baby hides behind the other," the technician explained. "Or if the first ultrasound was done too early then only one would have been picked up."_

_They decided to find out the sex of the babies then, but the position of the second baby made it difficult to tell the baby's sex. Chuck was betting that they were fraternal twins and that the other baby was a girl._

_When the technician left the room to retrieve the print out of the ultrasound, Chuck looked at Sarah thoughtfully, "Sarah, what are we going to do?" It had already been exhausting dealing with two children under five, but now they would be having four. Chuck wasn't sure how they would manage. "We're gonna have to go shopping. We need another crib...I hope we can find the same one that we already have cause that design was really popular. Two different designs might look weird right? Or maybe it doesn't matter. What do you think?"_

_"Chuck,"_

_"But of course the crib design is irrelevant if two can't even fit in the nursery. Then we'd need to convert one of the other rooms...And we'll need to start looking for a double stroller. We obviously can't use the one Alex said Mackenzie doesn't use anymore."_

_"Honey you really need to-"_

_"Maybe Ellie would like to help us out with all this extra shopping we'll need to do and Devon and Casey can help me set up the furniture..."_

_"Chuck," Sarah finally broke through his monologue, "you're spiralling. We'll be fine."_

_He sighed. "I know. I know...But I really have no idea how we're gonna deal with four kids-"_

_Sarah kissed him softly and ran her fingers through his hair. "We'll take it one day at a time. And when the babies are born we ask my mom or yours to help out until we find a new rhythm." She was just as shocked as Chuck was that they were expecting a twin, but she was happy nonetheless. Rubbing her belly fondly, Sarah smiled as she imagined their features._

**/\**

The doctor had assured them that birthing twins vaginally was safe as long as the babies were in the right position, but still Chuck was anxious during the delivery. He knew that this delivery would be more taxing on Sarah's body than the others had been. Everything went smoothly and after the babies spent time engaging in skin to skin contact with Sarah, they were taken to the nursery and Sarah transferred to her room. The twin had in fact been identical contrary to Chuck's belief. Sometimes each twin had his or her own placenta, chorion and amniotic sac and that had been the case here.

"Sooooooo, two boys," Chuck struck up conversation. "What were the odds?"

"Well, you do have the Y chromosome Chuck. So technically this is all on you."

"Thank you Dr. Bartowski M.D."

"Not my fault you didn't pay attention in Biology," Sarah smirked.

Chuck looked at her thoughtfully, "So Sarah, we've got four boys. What's next?"

"Well first off, I think you might need to get a vasectomy," she said seriously. "My uterus has been occupied enough."

"Really?"

Sarah sighed. She knew how much Chuck wanted a daughter but these pregnancies had taken a toll on her body. "I think four is good."

Chuck sighed wearily. "Yeah…."

Sarah laced her hand with his. "Sweetie, I know you wanted a little girl, but it doesn't seem to be in the cards for us."

"I guess not."

"See Chuck, Ellie has two girls and Morgan has one. Maybe us having boys was supposed to even out the female to male ratio in the family."

"If you really want me to, I'll get the snip." He couldn't ask her to keep getting pregnant in the hopes that it'd be a girl. That wouldn't be fair. Plus, he knew that they were not getting any younger and as a woman aged, there was a higher possibility of complications arising during pregnancy. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if something happened to Sarah.

"I love you Chuck," Sarah kissed him softly on the lips.

"I love you too," Chuck replied.

_**Kaleb Stephen Bartowski and Kyle Jayden Bartowski. January 23rd 2018.**_

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><p>He hadn't gotten the vasectomy and Sarah cursed the day she told him that she changed her mind about it. She wouldn't be in this position now.<p>

"Walker NO! Are you out of your minds?"

"Come on, you're a resp-"she stopped short when she realised just who she was talking to.

"Maybe we should call the grandparents," Chuck suggested. He glanced at Sarah who for the fourth time was in labour. This time she was relaxed and the snappish urgency exhibited the previous times wasn't present.

"Yes! Please! I'm no good at this kid stuff!" The impromptu babysitter looked desperate for a way out of the job.

One of the twenty-one-month old twins, either Kaleb or Kyle- even Sarah had a little difficulty telling them apart- began to cry from the kitchen. Liam, always the responsible oldest, came trotting from the kitchen. "Mommy, Samuel took away the twin's cereal and ate it all," he reported diligently.

"I did not!" three year old Samuel ran into the room and defended himself even though the Cheerios were still in his mouth.

Sarah sighed. "Samuel, what have we said about taking away other people's food?"

He looked to the floor. "Not nice."

"Exactly, if you wanted cereal, you just needed to ask," Sarah said. She then turned to Chuck. "Can you deal with them please?"

Chuck nodded, and taking Samuel's hand went to the kitchen.

The redhead looked at her friend's bulging stomach and huffed, "Geez Walker, I don't know if I told you before but you and Chuck put rabbits to shame! I don't know how you do it," she mused, "well actually I can see how you ended up in this position. I guess when the nerd gave you those bedroom eyes you were far gone. How did you even find time to go at it?"

"Carina," Sarah said calmly, "we are not discussing my husband's and I sex life."

"I'm still baffled that you guys still have a sex life," Carina muttered. "This is your last one right? Because I don't even want to imagine what down *there* looks like. You know I watched this documentary once where this woman had a ten pound baby vaginally and she needed like a million stitches." She shuddered at the thought.

"Yes this is our last baby." Sarah rolled her eyes. "Now, I've left instructions on the fridge. You'll survive."

"I didn't ask to be stuck for hours in the middle of the Bartowski Family Zoo!" The babysitter cried, throwing her hands up. "Your boys, every time I come over, they don't listen to me, they pull my hair, and they throw their food on the floor! What makes you think I'm going to be able to feed them or bathe them or make them go to sleep? I've never taken care of another human in my life! I can barely take care of myself!"

Sarah rolled her eyes at her theatrics. "Think of it like a mission. The boys are your assets and the mission won't last for more than two days." Sarah grinned, ignoring her twinging stomach. "Besides, I thought you always wanted boys hanging all over you, Carina."

Carina threw her hands up, obviously close to panic. "Maybe if I was on a beach in the Caribbean, but not your kids! Not your miniature Charahs!"

Chuck came in from the kitchen holding two struggling toddlers with blonde hair full of Cheerios. "Since they're so sticky, I think you might as well give them a bath instead of wasting time wiping them off. Make sure you wash their hair properly," he instructed and passed the children off to Carina. "And after that you can put them down for a nap."

Carina struggled under the unexpected weight of the boys, who immediately began to tug at her hair. "Chuck! This is a really bad idea!"

"Ready to go, sweetie?" Chuck asked Sarah, ignoring the redhead.

"Absolutely, honey," Sarah answered, turning for the door. "I'll call for backup, but until then you can handle them. Just keep all sharp objects out of arm's reach. And call Ellie if you need anything."

"How about a room at a mental hospital?" Carina called to their retreating backs.

"Don't be silly, Carina," Chuck answered, turning back to close the door. "You four be good for Auntie Carina." And he closed the door with a snap.

Carina growled. After this was over she was going to need a drink...or ten.

Three hours and seventeen panicked Carina phone calls later, Chuck and Sarah were once again proud parents. With the growing insanity of his household of little boys, Chuck rarely had time nowadays to drive Sarah nuts with his talk of the next one being a girl. But that certainly didn't stop him from keeping his fingers crossed.

Four pregnancies. Four boys. One girl.

"Well…" said Chuck, leaning over to look at his new baby daughter. "We did agree that this one would be the last one."

"Are you happy now? Can I shut the oven?"

Chuck guffawed and said: "Very much so and yes, we can shut the oven off...for now." Sarah sent him her death stare and he felt it. Oh, how he felt. He laughed nervously. "I'm kidding, honey! Really, I was!"

Sarah softened her features and said. "I know, you goof." Chuck was still smiling and so was Sarah.

"I love you Sarah."

"I love you too Chuck."

"Finally got the girl," Chuck smiled. Sarah could see the happiness radiating in his face. "She's perfect, just like her mother."

"The boys are gonna be so excited," Sarah smiled.

At the mention of the word 'boy', Chuck became pensive. Suddenly he had flashes of his daughter going to school, prom, puberty….boyfriends.

He shook his head. "She won't be allowed to date."

_**Lisa Chloe Bartowski. November 1st 2019.**_

**/\**

Since Sarah and the baby were both in good health, they were discharged in the late afternoon the following day. On the way back home, Sarah took time to gaze at Chuck who could not stop grinning. She was elated that she had given birth to a girl. She had no doubt that Chuck would have loved their last child as much as he did if it had been a boy, but she had to admit that their family did seem complete now. Her gaze then shifted to Lisa who was asleep in her car seat. Sarah smiled down at the baby in adoration. Observing the baby's blond curls peeping out from beneath her teal hat and her chubby face completely relaxed, Sarah felt a swirl of love build in her chest. Sarah used her left hand to softly squeeze Chuck's arm. There was a long line of traffic in front of them so he glanced back to her, his smile warm and loving. Her heart fluttered. She was thrilled that after all these years they were still able to make each other's hearts jump. No one had ever been able to ignite the love and passion in her body with just one glance and like she had said in her wedding vows, he was a gift that she never dreamed she could want or need, but she was grateful for him.

With a beaming smile, Sarah said, "You make me very happy Chuck." Her voice cracked a little with emotion.

Chuck's smile widened. "And you Sarah Bartowski make me the happiest man in the universe."

The vehicles in front of them began moving slowly. Chuck and Sarah shared a look before he turned his attention back to the road. There was so much more they could say to each other, so many more ways they could declare their love for each other. But with that look, words became unnecessary. With Chuck, her children and the rest of their family, she was living the life she only dreamed of.

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><p><strong>AN: Feel free to review, even if it's as a guest. Thanks for reading and I hope you guys have a wonderful day! :)**

**Until next time**

**xoxoxoxo**

**~Barbadiangirl 21/01/2016.**


	17. Twin Milestones

**A/N: Entertainment wise, writing 'Chuck' fanfic trumps reading Commonwealth Caribbean Constitutions almost every day! **

**I didn't get to post anything on the anniversary of the finale, but I hope you guys enjoy this piece. Thanks for reviewing and placing the story on your alerts or favourites list. It's nice that the fanfic community is still interested. Thanks to _charahkids_ for looking this over. :)**

**Chapter 17: Twin Milestones**

**Words: 3,954**

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><p>"Say Ma-ma," Sarah half cooed, half pleaded to the nine month old twin in front of her. "Ma-ma."<p>

Her children, Matthew and Mackenzie were sitting in their high chairs eating their blue berry pancakes. Matthew, the oldest by all of two minutes, had most of his pancake smashed between his fingers and had also managed to get some tangled in his hair. His hazel eyes danced with mischief and he reared back his hand, preparing to launch an attack on his sister. She seemed to sense the imminent assault and began to raid her own arsenal, grabbing a handful of her own pancake in one hand.

"Put it down," Sarah instructed the babies and they unwillingly dropped the bits of pancakes into their bowl. Still, Matthew could not resist the temptation and wiped his hand over his sister's face. Mackenzie ended up with bits of blue berries and maple syrup over her face. "That was not nice Matthew." She turned her back on them to grab the baby wipes from the counter. As soon as she did so, Mackenzie took her revenge on her brother. Smiling, she grabbed a handful of pancake from her bowl and ran her chubby fingers through her brother's blond curls. He began to babble angrily at her, and she replied in earnest. When Sarah turned to them, curious about the commotion and wipes in hand, she found that they were considerably dirtier than they had been mere seconds ago.

"What am I going to do with the two of you?" She asked jokingly, taking their bowls from in front of them and resting them in the sink. She then wiped Matthew's face and hands and picked the bits of food out of his hair. Then it was Mackenzie's turn. Her clean-up was less messy.

"Dada! Dada!" The two babies squealed when they caught sight of their father. Sarah watched as Mackenzie's blue eyes sparkled once Chuck's body was in full view and her brother began to wriggle in his chair, reaching out for his father.

"Traitors," Sarah muttered, slightly envious that 'dada' had been their first word.

"Aw, come on babe. Don't be jealous," Chuck laughed. "Good morning Matthew and Mackenzie," Chuck greeted his children, kissing each of them on their foreheads.

"But they've said dada, no, and Mimi," Sarah whined, the latter being the twins' word for their grandmothers. "It's not fair!" She huffed.

Chuck came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Sarah, with you going the whole Baby Genius route, I'm sure the twins will be expanding their vocabulary soon. They'll be saying Mama in no time." He kissed her temple and Sarah sighed.

"Yeah, I guess I just need to be patient."

"Exactly. Now go on I'll hold the fort down here."

Sarah kissed him on the cheek and then headed upstairs. It was apparent that the twins were more interested in playing with their pancakes rather than eating it, so he ignored their pleas for more. Instead, he gave them each a bottle of warm formula and drank his coffee as he waited for them to finish. Once they were done, he took away the bottles and placed them in the sink. It was a bit difficult to carry both children at once, but he managed to successfully take them out of their high chairs and carry them to the living room. He sat with them on the couch. First he let Mackenzie sit on her own while Matthew sat in his lap in order to burp him and then switched places. After burping, the babies began to get restless.

"Okay guys, how are we gonna do this? Do you two wanna play together or are you gonna play separately?" Matthew pointed to the green play pen and Mackenzie to the rose pink one, so Chuck obliged their wishes. He watched them silently as they got settled. Once he was sure they were okay, with Matthew chewing on his teething ring and Mackenzie tossing her stuffed bunny all over the play pen, he left them. "Daddy's gonna go have breakfast okay," he informed the twins and they replied with a garbled response.

He had finished eating and was in the process of washing up when he heard the doorbell ring. Jogging to the red front door, he peeped through the peep hole and, after seeing his mother outside, opened the door with a bright smile on his face. "Hey Mom," he greeted her, and kissed her cheek.

"Hello Chuck," Mary returned the greeting. "You're looking smart," she complimented, taking in his dark blue suit and pinstriped button down.

Chuck smiled warmly. "You know I'd rather wear my Converse every day. But today we have a meeting with some potential new clients from Geneva."

"Ah, I see. I hope everything turns out how you want it to."

"Thanks Mom," Chuck grinned. "You know where everything is but I can get you something if you want. Tea? Coffee? Juice maybe."

"No thanks. I'm good. Devon gave me some smoothie recipes and I made one this morning. It was really nice."

Chuck's face soured. From his experience, Devon's concoctions were rarely nice. "Well the twins are in the- " he trailed of when he realised that his mother was already making her way to them. He followed her and watched their interactions from the arch way. Mary took the twins from their play pens and sat with them in the couch. They seemed very excited to see their grandmother and launched into babbling.

Mary laughed and responded to each babble with a combination of 'Really?' 'Is that so?' and 'Wow' as though she understood everything that they were saying.

Chuck smirked at the scene. It was amazing that they had gone twenty years without communication but now could go no more than two days without some sort of interaction.

"Mom, I'm gonna finish getting ready," he announced, only to have Mary respond with a dismissive wave of her hand as she listened with rapt fascination to the story the twins were taking turns in telling.

Shaking his head, Chuck went into the master bedroom, he found Sarah half dressed and putting on her makeup.

"Chuck," Sarah began speaking when she heard his footsteps. "Your jacket looked a bit wrinkly so I ran the iron over it. It's in the closet on a hanger."

He came up behind her and wrapped his hands around her waist. Sarah put her primer on the vanity and relaxed in his embrace. "As nice as this is, I need to finish getting ready," she said but made no effort to escape his hold. Ignoring her, Chuck bent his head slightly and rested his chin in the crook of her neck. "Chuck," she warned, all too familiar with where this was headed.

"Sarah," he answered. His voice was low and Sarah felt her stomach begin to swirl.

"We're gonna be late."

"Hmmm?" he replied and she could feel the vibrations in his body because of their proximity. He then kissed her neck. Sarah felt his fingers graze across her skin as Chuck pushed her bra straps down her arms. He then kissed her bare right shoulder. With one hand still around her waist, he snaked his hand under her skirt, his hand inching its way up her thigh. Sarah's breath hitched when she felt his finger graze her underwear.

"Work," she continued, her voice not as strong as it had been moments before.

He removed his hand from beneath her skirt and for a moment Sarah thought that his teasing had come to an end. That was before she felt his arms around her once more as he turned her body so that she was facing him. Then, he pulled her close and bent his neck, capturing her lips in a deep passionate kiss.

Sarah threw her arms around his neck, her hands desperately seeking purchase on his body. Eventually they came to tangle in his hair and Sarah relished in the softness. A guttural moan escaped her lips when she felt Chuck nibble her bottom lip. She bit him back and smiled into the kiss. When Chuck pulled away, Sarah's eyes were hazy.

"What about work?" he questioned, toying with the waistband of her skirt.

"Work can wait!" she replied, simultaneously pulling him in for another kiss while trying to shed him of his shirt.

**/\**

"That was... That was," Sarah panted. "Wow!"

Chuck propped himself up on one elbow and looked at her adoringly. "I know." He still had a goofy smile on his face and Sarah found it adorable.

"You know, I really hope we don't get rug burn from this," Sarah commented as she took in their state.

Their clothes were all over the floor and they had barely had time to grab a blanket to put on the carpeted floor. "But it would have been worth it don't you think?" He smirked at her and Sarah nodded in agreement.

Sarah peeped around his body to look at the alarm clock on their bedside table. "Gosh Chuck, enough of this pillow talk. We need to get ready."

Sarah resisted Chuck's eyebrow dance when he suggested that they conserve water by showering together. She shooed him out of the bedroom and pointed to the bathroom while insisting that she would shower alone in the master bathroom in spite of his advances. After showering, they quickly got dressed and then hurried downstairs, Chuck tying his tie and Sarah putting in her earrings.

"You've got the file on Imogen right?" Sarah asked when they reached the base of the stairs.

"Yeah, I was going over it yesterday and I put it in my briefcase. After we tell the twins goodbye we can leave."

Mary came out of the living room holding two empty juice bottles. "I though you guys wanted to leave by eight thirty Chuck," Mary looked to him for an explanation. It was after ten now.

Chuck scratched the nape of his head and fought the blush creeping up his neck. "Um...we um got distracted."

Mary took in their state- Chuck's button down that had been pristine when she saw him last was slightly wrinkled, his hair was a little damp and to her trained eye, she could tell that Sarah had used makeup to cover up a mark on her neck.

"Sarah my dear, perhaps a neck scarf would better hide that hickey." Chuck looked at her with wide eyes. "Chuck, you should know that there are better places to put a hickey."

"Moooommmmm!" He could've died then and there of embarrassment.

"I'm just saying...inconspicuous places."

"I'm just gonna-"'Sarah trailed off and ran upstairs to find a neck scarf that would go with her outfit.

When Sarah came back downstairs, Chuck had already said goodbye to their children and was waiting at the door for her. By this time, the twins were crawling around the living room and Mary had set up the toddler gate so that they couldn't creep anywhere else. Unlocking the gate, she walked over to Matthew who was hiding behind the couch and gave him a hug and kiss goodbye. Then, she went over to Mackenzie who was playing near her father's Indian chief statue.

"We bought a DVD set for them yesterday that teaches them colours and shapes and stuff like that, so if you could let them watch one that'd be nice."

"Ah, teaching them early," Mary smiled. "At this rate they'll be able to read my children's illustrated manual on how to disarm a nuclear weapon by the time they're four."

"Moooommmm!" Chuck yelled from the door, having heard the last part of her statement.

Mary smiled sheepishly. "It was a joke." She could tell that Sarah didn't believe her from the look she gave her. "Honestly!"

* * *

><p>"Chuck! CHUUUUCCCCKKKKKK! Come now! Get your phone! HURRY! HURRY UP!" Sarah screamed as she watched Matthew pull himself up to hold onto the centre table. Then, he began to take his first steps on wobbly, uncertain legs.<p>

Chuck came running to them into the living room, with his iPhone in hand and the camera already rolling. Matthew toppled down and looked at his feet and then to his parents with uncertainty. Mackenzie crawled over to him and patted him on the knee. The twins babbled for a moment and Sarah smiled when she saw Matthew smile. It was almost as if Mackenzie was coaching him through it.

"Come on buddy, you can do it," Chuck offered his encouragement. Matthew nodded and with the same look of determination that Sarah would get when faced with a challenge, he held onto the table and pulled up himself. With his parents and sister offering encouragement and his father recording him, Matthew let go of the table and took small steps. Sarah wiped the tears that had begun to cloud her vision and intently watched Matthew as he took a couple more steps before falling down again. Chuck paused the recording and he and Sarah broke out in applause. Following her parents' lead, Mackenzie also clapped her chubby hands together while her blue eyes danced with delight. Matthew looked over at them and a wide grin spread across his face, showing the four front teeth that had come in.

Matthew crawled back over to where his sister was sitting and smiled at her. He babbled something to her and Mackenzie nodded. Matthew stood up again and Mackenzie followed suit. He took a few steps away from his sister and turned to her, clapping his hands and shouting something in their twin jabber language. By then, Chuck had resumed the recording as Matthew literally encouraged the younger twin to follow in his footsteps. Mackenzie knit her eyebrows together and focused on her brother who was a few feet away. She tottered over to him, her steps getting surer as she advanced. She was about to fall when Matthew closed the distance between them and, leaning forward, hugged her as a means of support and congratulations for a job well done. That was one of the cutest things their parents had ever seen.

Chuck put his phone down and wiped a stray tear from Sarah's face. Smiling at each other, they scooted closer to the children who were once again sitting. "Walk to Mummy and Daddy," he suggested and he and Sarah held their arms out.

The twins nodded at each other and tottered over to their parents. Sarah scooped Matthew into her arms when he reached her and showered him with kisses, while Chuck did the same. "I'm so proud of you babies!" Sarah looked at them in glee and they smiled toothily at her. They had assumed that Mackenzie would walk first. She was the one who had started crawling first and would speed off, leaving her twin but eventually waiting for him to catch up. Matthew meanwhile had preferred to sweep along the floor rather than crawling on his knees and hands.

Apparently the twins liked to walk as they soon wriggled out of their parents' arms and tried walking again. When one fell, the other would babble something and then the fallen twin would get back up. Their footing became surer the more they practiced and Chuck had a little over an hour's footage of them. The twins tottered all over the living room as if they were experiencing the room in a new, different light. Eventually, they tired and crawled over to their parents, falling asleep curled up in Sarah's arms. Chuck took Matthew from Sarah and the couple took their children into the nursery.

"I know I'm usually elated when they take a nap. But I can't wait until they're up again," Sarah mused as she shut the nursery door behind them.

Chuck laughed. "I know! They look so cute walking."

"And did you see when Matthew helped Kenzie to walk? That was the sweetest thing ever," Sarah gushed.

"That's my little man. Chivalrous basically since birth."

They went back downstairs and watched some of the videos. Sarah mused that her babies were quickly growing up. Chuck began looking around the house to see if they had missed anything when the house had been baby proofed. Casey always liked to tease him about how neurotic he had been during Sarah's pregnancy, going to extreme lengths such as baby proofing the house when she was six months pregnant. The NSA agent had chided that just because the twins would share some of his genetics as the Intersect did not mean they would be born trying to open cupboards. Sarah began Googling for the best way to introduce children to potty training and Chuck stressed about Kindergarten and college tuition. He told Sarah to remind him to either borrow one of Casey's guns or round up Casey and Gertrude so they could find and buy the perfect gun for any boy that dared to even look in Kenzie's direction. When the words left his mouth they realised how ridiculous they were being and laughed at each other.

"Don't freak out," Chuck kissed Sarah's forehead.

"I'm really glad we have them, Chuck," Sarah said and snuggled into his side. She had had reservations about what kind of mother she'd be but now she found that motherhood was more wonderful than she could have imagined. Sure there were moments when the twins tested her patience but she wouldn't trade them for the world.

"As am I," Chuck agreed and kissed her softly on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you too, Chuck."

* * *

><p>Chuck and Sarah had made it a habit of taking their children to their beach. One of the times they had come, a sea gull flew near to the children. Mackenzie, thinking that it was friendly, reached out her hand to pet it. The bird inched closer to her and pecked her on her index finger. Matthew then coming to her defence, threw a handful of sand at the gull. By then Kenzie was crying and that caused Chuck who had momentarily turned his back from them to go into overprotective mode. Sarah shooed the offending bird away and scooped up a crying Mackenzie into her arms while Chuck took up Matthew. Mackenzie was so upset that they packed up and headed home. She later commented to Chuck that the bird had gotten off lucky since she hadn't stashed any of her throwing knives in her swimsuit like she had done on previous missions. Chuck thought she got some sort of revenge on the chicken they had for dinner later that night.<p>

This time though, everything was going smoothly and the sea gulls weren't troubling them. Chuck had buried the base of the umbrella in the sand so they were protected from the heat. She loved when they were able to forget about work, and everything else and just focus on their family and today was one of those days.

"Look at Daddy swimming," Sarah pointed to where Chuck was treading the water.

"Dada," Matthew said happily.

"Dada," Mackenzie parroted.

Sarah looked at her children in adoration. Matthew was wearing orange swim trunks with coconut trees on them and a white baby bucket hat to further protect him from the sun. Mackenzie meanwhile was wearing a purple one piece with one of the Minion characters on the chest and the same hat as her brother. Her hair was longer than Matthew's so little brown curls peeped put from underneath the hat. "That's right. Daddy." She turned her attention to the ocean once again and saw Chuck emerging. "Do you two wanna go for a swim?"

Matthew was more interested in covering himself with sand and shook his head no. Mackenzie, in an attempt to escape her brother's sloppy work with burying himself scooted closer to her mother. Sarah laughed knowing that despite Mackenzie's efforts to stand clear of the sand, she'd probably end up with sand in the most outrageous places.

"Nobody wants to swim with me?" Chuck asked when he reached them.

"It seems the only water these two like is in the bath," Sarah laughed.

Chuck chuckled and sat down next to Matthew. "What are you doing buddy?"

"Dada," he smiled and began to throw small handfuls of sand at him.

"Wanna bury Daddy in the sand?" Sarah asked both of the children. Chuck scooted around so that he was no longer on the blanket. Matthew nodded excitedly at the idea and continued to throw sand on his father's chest. Mackenzie was sceptical at first, but when she saw her mother and brother giggling, she joined in too. The twins eventually tired of playing in the sand and stopped burying Chuck when his body was about half covered. He made a big show of struggling to get the sand off of him and the babies giggled. Deciding they should all go into the water together, Chuck took Mackenzie's hand and Sarah took Matthew's. He was the more excited of the two and tugged on her hand for her to walk faster. When they reached the point where the waves broke, Matthew stretched out his foot to meet the water. He giggled when the water touched his toes and his hazel eyes danced with mirth. Mackenzie though shrunk closer to her father's side when the water tickled her toes. Sarah and Matthew eased a little further into the ocean, the water now up to his knees. Matthew laughed and smacked the water his palm. He pointed a bit further, indicating to Sarah that he wanted to get into the ocean some more. Obliging him, she picked him up, and once he was securely resting on her hip, she waded further until the water reached her waist. Matthew squealed in delight when he felt the water envelop his body.

"Come on Kenzie," Sarah called out. Chuck and Mackenzie were still on the shore.

"Dada?" The baby looked up at her father apprehensively. She was usually more reserved than her brother and took longer than he did to engage in new environments.

"Daddy will be with you the whole time," Chuck promised and hoisted her onto his hip. He eased into the water and when they reached Sarah and Matthew, Mackenzie smiled at them.

"That's my sweet girl," Sarah kissed her on the cheek.

Mackenzie smiled and began splashing the water, mimicking what she had seen her brother doing..

They spent about twenty minutes in the water and then headed back to their spot on the beach to eat. Sarah knew that the twins, whom she was sure had their father's appetite would be getting hungry. She and Chuck towelled them off and then took out some food.

"Oooh, let's see what Mummy packed for lunch," Chuck spoke to the twins in his baby voice.

At the mention of the word lunch, Matthew's eyes lit up and he began clapping his hands. Mackenzie looked pensive for a moment and looked at Sarah. "Mama?"

Sarah immediately turned her attention away from the picnic basket and to Mackenzie. The smile on her face stretched from ear to ear. "Yes! Yes baby girl mama" She pulled Mackenzie onto her lap and showered her with kisses. "Chuck! She said mama! She said mama!" Sarah gushed.

"I told you you had to be patient," Chuck grinned at his wife.

"Mama," Mackenzie repeated, liking how the word rolled off her tongue.

They tried to coax Matthew into saying 'mama' like his sister had but he was having none of it. Instead, he began to cry for his food. Sarah relented as she realised she couldn't force him. Once she handed him a Gerber banana flavoured biscuit, Matthew smiled at her toothily "Mama!"

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><p><strong>AN: Feel free to review, even if it's as a guest.**

**Until next time,**

**xoxoxoxoxo**

**~Barbadiangirl 29/01/2016.**


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